Azeroth at War (AU)
by Kristoph Reads
Summary: The final story to my Alternative Azeroth project, which sees a united Azeroth face off against the evils in Pandaria and the Burning Legion in a fight to keep a peace that has lasted only a few years, hard fought by the King and Queen of the Eastern Kingdoms and the Warchief of Azeroth. (Fourth installment, check profile for the chronological order of stories).
1. Chapter 1

**Exploring Pandaria**

"It's been a month since the Sha attacked our camp and yet there have been no more signs of them anywhere."

Athrodar stood on the edge of the Krasarang Wilds, looking back to Sylvanas and their Royal Rangers who were setting up a defensive perimeter whilst keeping a look out for anything out of the ordinary. "You don't think it's a one off event, do you?" The Queen asked, stepping towards Athrodar and looking down at Krasarang with him. "Nobody else has reported seeing a similar being anywhere."

"The Shado-Pan have allowed us to explore these lands, though they warned us to keep our negative emotions in check." Athrodar took hold of Sylvanas' hand, holding onto his bow with his other hand and looking back at the many green hills and pink trees around them. "We still have to explore down there and Kun-Lai Summit before we can go back. That's at least another month." He glanced down at his Queen who had her free hand holding onto the locket around her neck. "Do you think you can wait that long?"

Sylvanas looked up at him and smiled. "I can. I just have to look at the pictures of them a lot more often than I already was."

Athrodar saw his Queen look down at the locket once more, smiling and kissing the top of her head. "Come on, Viraleth is waiting on the path leading down to Krasarang Wilds. Once we meet up with her, we can start sending out scouts around the area and hopefully finding nothing of interest."

As they began to make their way towards Viraleth, Sylvanas sighed and pulled on the bowstring that was laying across her chest. "Tell me again, why are we doing this and not the Shado-Pan?"

"Because we want to have good relations with these people and in order to do that, we have to make sure none of the Sha are popping up around Pandaria." Athrodar threw his bow over his shoulder, stretching his arms up above his head and bending his back a little, feeling his joints wake up after doing nothing but walk all day. "Besides, this gives us an opportunity to go house hunting for when we want to get away from everyone and hide for a few months."

Sylvanas chuckled, nodding her head and moving a little to her left so she was walking as close to Athrodar as she could, resting her head on his arm. "That's a very good point. Have you found anywhere of interest?"

"Not yet, but Kun-Lai Summit sounds like a nice place to settle." Athrodar began to smile at the description he was given when he spoke to a couple of Pandaren on their travel from the Jade Forest. "Mountains ranges in the north, a temple built within and several farms to the south of them? It's like Northrend but without the Scourge. And probably not as cold."

"Let's wait until we see it, my love." Sylvanas told him, holding onto his arm as they walked. "But it's nice to know you're planning ahead."

Both King and Queen, as well as their entourage of rangers, continued to walk towards where they believed Viraleth was waiting, hearing a twig snap and alerting all of them to something in the trees to their right. "Come out." Seliana said, aiming her bow in the direction along with the rest of her rangers. "Come out now, or we will force you out."

"You will force your Ranger-General out of hiding?" Viraleth asked, stepping forward along with her company and grinning at the Royal Captain.

"Good, you're here." Sylvanas said, stepping towards her Ranger-General and hugging her. "Why were you hiding?"

"We saw something odd a couple miles away and doubled back until reinforcements arrived." Viraleth let go of Sylvanas after sharing the hug with her Queen. "We don't know what it was, but it doesn't fit the description of the Sha either."

"How big was it?" Athrodar asked, shaking the Ranger-General's hand when he was close enough, both parties being away from each other for close to a month.

"Huge. It looked like a Kodo but it wasn't. It was also heavily armoured and had a lot of weapons on it." Viraleth looked back to her Rangers, most of whom were resting next to trees and on the grass. "It looked more like a moving fortress than a mount."

"A mount? There were people on it?"

Viraleth nodded at Athrodar's questions. "These lizard people. Without that mount, we could have taken them but whilst they're atop it? We don't stand a chance. That was until you guys arrived."

"Where did you last see it?" Sylvanas asked, signalling for her rangers and Athrodar's rangers to take a break with Viraleth's company.

"It was heading east alone the cliffside. We watched it for a couple of hours from a distance and they don't seem to cross the river. It's like they're patrolling the southern bank of it." Viraleth took out a map and pointed to the Valley of the Four Winds, moving her finger up and down the river on the southern part of the map. "Here is where they patrol." She moved her finger to the left. "We are here and they are here." She moved her finger to the right, glancing up at Sylvanas who was looking down at the map. "It's a good spot for them too. If they were to be attacked, they could try to drive the attackers towards the cliffside."

"How often do they patrol west?" Athrodar asked, watching Viraleth rub the back of her neck.

"I cannot say." The Ranger-General answered, running out of answers to their questions. "I suspect they should start coming this way soon, which wouldn't be a bad opportunity to set up an ambush and take them out. They look like raiders from afar, so if my assumption is true, we could be doing the Pandaren a favour." Viraleth watched both her King and Queen nod, noticing the lack of a certain younger elf. "Where's Victoria?"

"She has gone to Townlong steps with Snow and Sera to help the Shado-Pan with the Klaxxi." Sylvanas looked back to Athrodar who placed a hand on her shoulder. "We tried to talk her out of it, but at the end of the day she wanted to help them like they helped her."

Viraleth smiled and nodded her head, knowing the Princess would have fought tooth and nail to get her way. "She may come back a changed woman, but I suspect it's for the better. She would be getting experience in fighting a new foe, maybe even picking up a few things and possibly some leadership qualities too."

"As long as she doesn't do anything stupid and reckless, I am okay with her being there." Athrodar said, moving his hand from his Queen's shoulder and hooking it around her. "This one however, just wants her to be here where she can see her." He kissed the top of his Queen's head when he finished speaking, having Sylvanas lean back against him.

"She is young and full of wonder. I just worry about her being out there alone."

"Like you did when she was travelling Kalimdor alone?" Viraleth asked, smirking at her Queen. "She will be fine. Sera is more than capable of keeping her safe."

* * *

Victoria sat down next to Snow who was licking his wounds, petting him on the head and smiling sadly at him. "It's okay, little one. Just rest here with the wounded."

The Princess was resting with many of the Pandaren warriors that were fighting along a the great wall the spread across six of the seven areas of Pandaria, built to keep the Klaxxi at bay and for the Pandaren to fight those who tried to fly over it. The insectoid beings waking up from their long hibernation to begin their ritual of attacking and claiming the jewel of Pandaria, the Vale of Eternal Blossoms.

"Leave him, my Lady." Sera said, crouching down beside her Princess. "He will be here when we get back. We are moving out in a few minutes, the healers will tend to the wounds that are more fatal."

Victoria nodded her head and let a few tears fall, never seeing her Snow look so injured after taking on five of the giant insects, two of them carrying him away for several metres before the Princess shot them down with arrows. "I love you." She whispered to Snow, kissing the top of his head and hugging him. "We'll be back soon, okay? Just stay here and rest."

Snow licked the blood off his white and black striped coat, seeing his friend was crying and licking her face to get her to calm down, having Victoria smile and laugh before hugging him again, only this time she didn't want to let go. After letting out a few low growls and other sounds, the Princess let go of her best friend and kissed his nose one last time before leaving the room that housed Snow and several wounded Pandaren.

"We are moving further into the Dread Wastes today." Sera told her, handing the Princess her bow and quiver full of arrows. "The Shado-Pan believe we can set up a foothold futher in for a few days before Klaxxi reinforcements arrive, giving us time to find one of their hives and plan an attack on it."

Victoria was lifted up onto a Shado-Pan Tiger, sitting behind one of the Pandaren and looking over to Sera who was on another. "Let's make the next few days count then. I want to make sure we criple them enough that we can hold that foothold."

"That's not a bad plan." Sera told her. "But we will have to deal a significant blow for them to let us keep that foothold." The Captain looked over the Pandaren she sat behind, watching as their group began to ride out. "We will have to come across a major hive and destroy it for that to happen."

Victoria grinned, looking back at the Great Wall and having the grin wipe from her face. "I hope so." She said, her voice trailing off when she thought about Snow. "I want him to know that we took out a major hive for him."

Sera smiled warmly when she saw Victoria looking back at the Great Wall, knowing she was talking about Snow whilst also knowing she was hurting about having her best friend injured and away from her. "We will return to him as victors, my Lady. You can tell him about how you fought for the two of you."

* * *

"Again, but this time focus on the wound, not on how I am feeling."

Tanadia frowned at Liadrin, not feeling comfortable with the Paladin cutting her hand just so she can practice healing her. "Do you have to keep doing that?" She asked, watching the Paladin slide a knife across her hand. "I don't like you hurting yourself."

"Relax, I've been through far worse. Besides I have confidence in your abilities to heal me, even at your young age." Liadrin placed the knife down and held her hand out for the Princess, smiling when she placed her hands over her palm and concentrated on said hand. "Just remember what I have taught you. Focus on the light and it will course through you and onto your patient."

Thalina sat with Illana with what felt like a daily ritual at this point, the Magister holding onto Tahnir whilst Illana kept Alleria in her arms. "Before you say anything, I have spoken to Liadrin about this method and she just stuck her tongue out at me." She stroked Tahnir's hair whilst keeping her attention on her daughter. "How long have they been gone now?"

"Since I last saw them? About a month now." Illana placed Alleria down in the portable cot that was made for the Royal Family, thanking whatever God was listening as it helped her out a lot with looking after both her grand kids whilst their parents were away. "The last message I got said they were going to be back within a month, which was two days ago so I would say they are back in a month." Illana laughed lightly, smiling at the Magister. "Don't worry, Athrodar doesn't know about your adult parties that you go to."

Thalina began to go bright red, sinking back into the chair she was sitting in. "G..Good... I don't want him to know." She glanced over to Illana who was smiling at her embarrassment. "Stop smiling! It's a touchy subject."

"Okay, I won't say anything. It's just a surprise considering you are very closed in." Illana turned to face the Magister. "You going out to parties where the main course is having sex with anyone you can get your hands on? It seems very out of character."

"Well, I figured that I have been hanging on to Athrodar for too long and I need to move on." Thalina looked down at Tahnir, stroking his hair and watching him play with his raptor plushie. "Something that is difficult when I am holding on to a little version of him."

"You don't have to help me look after them, Thal. I can understand if you don't want to."

Thalina shook her head. "Oh no, I love them to bits and don't want to be away from them. They're adorable... And Tanadia loves her brother and sister so there's that." The Magister kissed the top of the Prince's head, pressing her cheek to where she kissed and hugging him shortly after. "I would steal him if I knew I could get away with it."

Illana raised an eyebrow at the Magister. "Do I need to keep a close eye on you?"

Thalina rolled her eyes. "No. I was joking." She kissed the top of Tahnir's head again, stroking his hair and then watching her daughter continue to practice with Liadrin. "Though if I could get away with it, I would do it..." When she heard Illana clear her throat she smiled and looked over to the Sunblade Matriarch. "I am kidding!"

Liadrin watched as her hand was healed, smiling brightly at Tanadia who looked just as happy at watching her attempt at healing work. "I did it!" She exclaimed with much excitement. "I actually did it!" She looked up from Liadrin's hand and jump at her, hugging the paladin tightly. "Aunty Li Li I did it!"

"Yes you did, little one." Liadrin held the little priestess tightly, feeling so proud of her apprentice and with how much she has learnt in such a short amount of time. "I am so proud of you. You are going to be very special one day and it makes me happy to see you progress so quickly."

"Maybe I will be just as good as you, Aunty." Tanadia said, smiling at the Paladin when she pulled back to look at her.

"No doubt, little one." Liadrin pulled out her knife again and held the blade end in her hand. "Now come on, let's do it again so you can heal the cut faster."

* * *

Sylvanas and Athrodar sat on a branch in a tree, the rest of their rangers and Viraleth's company doing the same as they waited for this apparent new threat to make its way passed their ambush. "Despite the circumstances, this is very peaceful." Sylvanas told her King, leaning back against him as she sat in front of him on the same branch. "Reminds me of home, before Arthas' invasion. I use to sit in the trees outside my vilage on my days off and just daydream."

"You wouldn't, by chance, have daydreamed about yours truly?" Athrodar asked, rubbing his thumb across her knuckles.

"Oddly enough, I wasn't." She glanced over her shoulder and back to her King, smiling when he looked a little hurt. "Of course I did. I planted Viraleth in your company to keep tabs on you, getting regular updates from you father, though he kept it professional. I was picturing a life with someone I had never spoken to, going off of rumours and updates by others." She moved his hand to her lips and kissed the back of it. "Thankfully everything was true."

"Damn right it was true." Athrodar whispered, hugging his Queen tightly and hearing her chuckle. "I am a genuine people pleaser and an amazing ranger who does what he can to woo his former Ranger-General without knowing."

"Mission accomplished." Sylvanas cooed, kissing him lightly before snuggling back into him. "And well done on the side objectives, getting her pregnant twice and bring her back to life."

Athrodar chuckled and nodded. "All in a hard days work."

Viraleth whistled to get their attention after returning from her small scouting mission, waving up at her King and Queen. "Psst, hey. They're coming back." She whispered loudly, pointing towards the area their new enemy was patrolling. "Get ready, they're here in two minutes."

At first nobody felt it, but as the seconds crept by, small tremors were sound and felt as the beast was getting closer to them. "How big is it exactly?" Sylvanas asked, moving to a seperate branch to give Athrodar the room he needed to aim his bow.

"It's massive." Viraleth told her, climbing up the tree and crouching and a branch beside her Queen. "You will see it before it's even in our ambush range."

Sylvanas sighed. "There's a chance we will be spotted before they reach us." The Queen nocked an arrow in place, waiting to draw it back and signalling the rest of the rangers to do the same. "We need to act quickly if that happens to minimise losses."

Viraleth drew her arrow back slowly as the beast came into viewing range, glancing back at her Queen who had done the same, Athrodar and the rest of the rangers following soon after. "The beast first. It's big enough to knock all these trees down with us still in them. The lizards on their backs will have to wait their turn to die."

Athrodar smirked, trying to infuse his arrowhead with frost and remembering that he didn't have that ability anymore. "The softest parts are normally the eyes and behind the ears. Aim for them and maybe we will just kill this thing before it becomes a threat."

The second it came into ambush range, there was a barrage of arrows let loose into the beast's head, most of them boucning off or only sticking in a few inches deep, not enough to wound it. As they all nocked and drew their arrows back, the humanoids on the beast's back all locked on to the elves in the trees, shouting in their native tongue that was intelligible to everyone. "We've been spotted." Viraleth told them, letting loose an arrow next to the beast's eye.

As Sylvanas drew her third arrow back, she saw an arrow whiz passed her and hit one of her ranger's in the dead center of their chest, falling backwards out of tree and landing on the forest floor. "Athrodar, take out their archers." She told her King, watching him nod and take aim before killing one of them. "Nice shot." She whispered, smirking and watching her arrow bounce off the tough hide of the beast. "He's getting closer." She told all the rangers as the head of the beast was almost underneath them.

Athrodar took out three more of their archers, glancing down to the head of the beast occasionally and watching it begin to sway and slam in to the trees. "It's trying to knock them over!" He warned them, hearing another loud bang before a long creaking sound rung out in the forest, followed by the sound of the tree falling and hitting into another, ricocheting off it and tumbling to the floor, taking six rangers with it in the process. "Damn it!" He hissed, slinging his bow over his shoulder and placing his hands on the branch he crouched on, swinging down from it and landing on one below him.

"What are you doing!?" Sylvanas yelled, watching her King leap from branch to branch, getting lower with each jump before seeing him unsheath his swords. "Don't do it!" She warned, letting loose an arrow into the beast's head as it sat directly underneath her now, hearing a loud roar as it pierced its eye, followed by feeling her tree begin to shake as it swung its head into it.

Seeing this, Athrodar acted quickly and leapt from his branch and onto the head of the beast, trying to gain a footing on its head as it swung and hit the tree again, plunging one of his swords into the other eye of the beast before pushing down on the blade until he was certain he hit its brain. Only, he was a couple seconds too late as it swung its head once more and uprooted the tree his Queen was on, hearing it come crashing down and watching it hit the floor, hearing the leaves and twigs snap and rustle, followed by the screams of a few rangers still on the tree and the loud crashing sound as the branches under the tree snapped under the weight and collided into the trunk or more branches.

Knowing he had to finish the task before going over to check on his Queen who hadn't yet climbed out from the fallen tree, Athrodar left the sword in the felled beast and ran up it's back towards the few lizard people who were recovering from their beast collapsing under them. He ducked under the first blade, slicing his sword across the stomach of the attacker before leaning back and disarming the second, using his blade to kill the third and final attacker before plunging his sword into the second.

Viraleth had climbed out from the tree, limping away and holding onto her arm that broke her fall as well as breaking in the meantime, having a cut on her bottom lip that had already swelled up to triple the size of the rest and looking up at Athrodar before nodding at him, looking back at the tree when he ran to it. "Help him." The Ranger-General said, limping towards two of her rangers who helped her sit down, being mindful of her broken arm before running to the second collapsed tree, a handful of rangers also going over to the first to look for their kin.

Seliana joined Athrodar in the search as well as Elaria, both Captains moving a couple of elves who had died in the fall to the side, sitting them up against the trunk before coming across Sylvanas who looked in a bad state. "She's breathing." Elaria said out loud, feeling a weak heartbeat from the Queen and a lot of blood and bruising. "She's out cold, her breathing is shallow and her heart is beating slowly." The Night Elf looked back at Athrodar who quickly came towards them, pushing both Captains out the way to get to his Queen.

"Hey.. I'm here." He whispered, stroking her hair and wiping the blood trickling down from her mouth. "Send for help, now!" He snapped back at Elaria who tried her best to not take that personally.

"I'll head back to camp and get mages and priests." The Night Elf said, racing back to the nearest camp to them, a couple hours away.

Athrodar continued to stroke his Queen's hair, trying his best not to move her and just letting her lay on his lap and he sat on his knees. "Help is coming." He whispered, having a tear fall from his cheek before he could stop it, looking down at his broken Queen and berating himself inside for not killing the beast sooner. "I'm sorry... I should have stopped this."

He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Help is coming." He repeated, not acknowledging the rangers surrounding their King and Queen, all looking worried for Sylvanas and praying that she would pull through.

* * *

**What a happy start to a story.**

**I know, not a creative name for the final installment but it's fitting considering what I plan to do with the entire thing. I tried my best to get this out on time, a few hours later than I normally get it out BUT it's still out on the same day! So that's a win in and of itself.**

**After some planning before I started writing this and ending the last one, I have decided that I won't spend long on Pandaria. The main reason is not being able to come up with a good plan for the continent now that Garrosh isn't there. The Thunder King and the Throne of Thunder is still in question too. I might change my mind but right now I don't plan to write about it. But it could be a good way to get the Alliance and Horde working together as a single faction instead of the divide I have written in the final chapter to the last story.**

**Either way, the first few chapters won't have a lot of fighting, the next one will (Spoiler alert) be a more saddened/emotional chapter for Athrodar and possibly the last for a while (Including those fluffy chapters I got distracted with near the middle to end of Three Years Later). Soon though, there will be fighting, more of Victoria stepping up as a leader and, eventually, the second best evil in the universe (After the Scourge), the Legion!**

**So happy reading, leave a review if you want and remember to follow or favourite to keep up to date with the chapters... Or Bookmark and come back Friday/Monday for new chapters.**


	2. Chapter 2

**An Eternal Sleep**

**Day 1:**

"How is she?" Athrodar asked, sitting beside his Queen's bed and looking up to Liadrin who was called in by Elaria after the Night Elf got a portal back to Stormwind, watching her close her eyes at the question. "Answer me!" He snapped, holding onto the limp hand in front of him.

"She took a massive blow to the head." Liadrin told him, her voice wavering out of fear and sadness. "We've done everything we can to heal her, the rest is up to her now."

Athrodar shook his head and brought his Queen's hand up to his lips. "No, no, no!" His eyes were watering, watching Sylvanas who had been in comatose since the tree fell during the fight. "Honey, wake up. Please. I need you to wake up now, don't leave us alone."

Viraleth laid in the bed next to the Queen, looking over to her the best she could without leaning on her arm that could only be healed so much, needing to stay in bed for a few more days to get some rest. "I'm sorry, Athrodar. I should have met you at the discussed location, not in that forest."

Liadrin glanced towards the entrance of the tent, seeing groups of rangers standing outside it as well as a few Pandaren villagers, remember what she had overheard on her way to the camp. "The Pandaren said you took out a group of raiders that had been harrassing nearby villages for months. Galleon was that big beast you killed and the lizard people on their back are a race known as the Saurok."

"I don't really care, Liadrin." Athrodar said, looking at only his Queen. "Right now I just want my Queen to wake up and tell me she is okay."

"I know, Athrodar... I know." Liadrin muttered, giving Viraleth a quick smile when she smiled at her and leaving the tent shortly after.

**Day 8:**

"It's been a week, Liadrin, and she hasn't woken up." Athrodar paced at the foot of the bed, keeping his eyes on his Queen who had been changed out of her armour and into something more comfortable. "Tell me you have some news."

"I don't know what you want me to say, Athrodar." The paladin had her arms folded below her chest, watching her King pace. "I have told you all I know, I have done all I can do."

"Then get me someone else!" He yelled, though his anger wasn't directed at her. He had barely slept since the fight and with his Queen still unconscious, he was becoming desperate. "Tyrande is nearby, get her to do something."

"She already has." Liadrin told him. "You were there, remember? You helped lower her into the bath full of enchanted water." She frowned at him when he sat down and held onto his head tightly. "How much sleep have you had?"

"A couple hours here and there." Athrodar muttered, looking up to Sylvanas who looked as peaceful as she did since the first day. "I don't know how long I can go on like this. It's been a week and she hasn't woken up. I need her, Liadrin. She always knew what to say to me if I had any doubts."

"I know, Athrodar. I know." She stood beside him and rubbed his back. "I will examine her tomorrow, see if anything has changed." She pulled the defeated King in for a friendly hug. "Get some sleep, some proper sleep and I'll come by first thing tomorrow."

"Okay." Athrodar said, climbing into the bed he had shared with his Queen since this started, pressing his ear to her chest and listening to her heart beating slowly, trying to sync his own one with hers.

"Dad!?" A voice shouted, getting louder with every shout until the owner of it came into the tent. "No... It's not true!"

Athrodar watched Victoria rush over to him and Sylvanas, falling to her knees when she reached the side of the bed and taking her mother's hand in both of her own. "I tried to stop it." He told his daughter, watching her begin to cry and kiss her mother's hand. "I was just a second too slow."

"How long has she been like this?" The Princess asked, looking back at Liadrin and spotting Sera standing at the entrance of the tent with a face that said only one thing. Shock. "Answer me!" She screamed when the Paladin hesitated.

"A week, my Lady. We have done everything we could think of, both Luna and I as well as Tyrande and her priestesses. Nothing is working." Liadrin knew that's not what she wanted to hear, seeing that just the look of disappointment on her face was enough to say that. "I'm sorry I failed you both..." the Paladin muttered, slowly walking out the tent and leaving them both alone.

"I will do everything I can to help, dad." Victoria whispered after a few minutes of silence. "I will search all over this land to find someone who can help, kill all those who stand in my way and not rest until she is awake."

Athrodar watched her stand up, trying to take hold of her hand and just missing it. "Where are you going?"

"To find a cure." Victoria told him, not looking back and leaving the tent shortly after.

**Day 20:**

"I don't know how long it will be until you wake up, so Victoria - after I spoke to her - has taken up leading our people. She would make you so proud, my love, it's almost been two weeks since she took charge but everything is working smoothly." Athrodar smiled and watched his Queen sleep peacefully, keeping an arm draped over her, feeling the hole in his heart that had been growing for the last few days begin to get bigger the longer he looked at her. "Please wake up." He whispered.

Almost as if on cue, Liadrin had entered the tent to find her King in the usual place, laying next to his Queen and smiling at him when he looked over to her. "How is she today?" Her smile was wiped away from her face however when she saw how hurt Athrodar looked. "What happened? Don't tell me she passed away."

The King shook his head, sitting up and looking down at his Queen. "No, she's still here. It just... It hurts so much, Liadrin. We're closing in on a month now and she has made no progress in recovering and my sanity is being chipped away little by little every day she lays there."

Liadrin made her way towards Athrodar and sat down on the bed beside him, becoming stunned when he threw himself at her and hugged her tightly, slowly patting him on the back when he didn't let go. "Stay strong, my King." She told him, hearing him cry into her shoulder. "Your mother is coming by today with your two little ones, remember? Stay strong for those two if anything else."

Athrodar nodded his head. "Okay." He pulled back and saw Liadrin smile warmly at him, wiping his eyes with his arm and looking back down at his Queen. "What do I tell Tahnir when he asks about her?"

Liadrin sighed, not knowing either and placing a hand on her King's shoulder. "He's still very young, he won't understand if you tell him the truth. Just don't tell him she's dead, because she's not. She's just taking a long sleep to recover."

"You think he will believe that?" Athrodar asked the second the Paladin began to examine Sylvanas.

"He's four in what... just under a month's time? He will believe whatever you tell him because he's still a baby." Liadrin placed a hand on Sylvanas' forehead, glancing over to Athrodar who was now standing beside the bed, looking down at what she was doing. "I spoke to Velen and he is looking in to another way to help you two. He's not happy about it, but he can't seem to say no to you two. I think he's seen enough death and is trying to keep anyone alive... Even if they betrayed his trust."

Athrodar looked away from the Paladin who made it known by her tone that she didn't approve of them using Velen to bring them back to life. "I did what I did to make her happy. Now all I want is for her to wake up."

"I'll inquire about the Pandaren healers tomorrow. They must have someone who can help." Liadrin removed her hand from Sylvanas' forehead once her examination was finished, letting out a small sigh and glancing over to Athrodar, seeing his defeated look when he already knew the answer to his unasked question. "I'm sorry. I am trying everything."

"I know." Athrodar said, looking down at his Queen. "I know."

**Day 38:**

"How have you been?"

Sera chuckled and shook her head at the Princess. "I should be asking you that. Your mother hasn't woken up for over a month since the incident and you have taken the leadership role as naturally as one could expect. If anything, you should check in with Athrodar. I know you have been avoiding it for a couple weeks now."

"I can't bring myself to see him... He's so broken now that he's not the same elf I knew as my father. I fear that seeing him like that again would break me too." Victoria shook her head. "No. I will next see him when my mother wakes up. For now I have to stay strong and lead."

"My Lady, you know you don't have to -"

"I do, Sera." Victoria said, cutting off the Captain and walking passed her. "Sylvanas has been asleep for over a month and Athrodar is so crippled by it he refuses to leave that tent. So yes I do have to stay strong and lead because if I don't, somebody incompetent will."

Sera sighed, catching a glimpse of Liadrin making her way to the tent and realising it was that time of day again, following her into the tent and smiling a little at Athrodar who was sleeping next to his Queen. "How has he been?" She asked, glancing down to Liadrin who began to examine the Queen.

"He's declining almost everything I can offer him in terms of council, opting to just stay with his Queen until she wakes up." The Paladin sighed, placing a hand on Sylvanas' forehead and pouring some holy magic into her. "Her condition is just... I don't know. Stagnant? She doesn't improve but she doesn't get worse either." Liadrin frowned at the Queen. "If she wasn't so damn important, I would have told Athrodar that it's not worth spending so much time on someone who isn't showing signs of waking up."

"Do you think she will ever wake up?" Sera asked, standing beside the paladin and looking down at her Queen before fixing the bed sheets covering her. "Victoria refuses to see either one of her parents until she wakes up. She says it's to stay strong, but I can see she is struggling to stay level headed."

"She's a good kid, but she is still young. Her emotions aren't as in check as she thinks they are, soon enough she will break down and come in here crying and wanting to be held by her father, just to be told everything will be okay." Liadrin watched Athrodar move in his sleep, smiling a little as his arm moved around his Queen. "When that happens, it might just wake Athrodar up from his broken state of mind and clear his head."

"I hope so." Sera muttered. "You would never think he was the King of Stormwind and former Prince of the Scourge. More like someone who is about to give up on everything."

"Again, give him time. Give them both time, even more than the month they've had. They will realise they're not alone in this." Liadrin removed her hand from Sylvanas' forehead and sighed. The action becoming a daily thing now for the Paladin. "I don't know why I keep doing this. I know the result before I even come here."

"Because you want her to get better just as much as he does." Sera told the Paladin. "We all do."

Liadrin smiled a little, knowing it to be true. "I do."

**Day 42:**

"I can't do this..." Athrodar whispered in his Queen's ear, laying as close to her as he could and tracing circles on the back of her hand that was resting on her abdomen. "Please... If you can hear me.. wake up. I can no longer look at you like this, it breaks my heart quicker than it can repair and I can't cope anymore."

Victoria stood outside the tent as she had done for the last forty-two days, hearing her father plead and cry with her mother to wake up and getting no response every time. Only, the thing that caught her attention this time was that he sounded like he had given up which was close to breaking the Princess who had tried to remain strong.

"I need you more than I ever thought I did, Sylvanas. You may think I keep this family strong, but it's you who holds it all together. I haven't spoken to our daughter in weeks, Tahnir is worried about you and I can't bring myself to bring him here." Athrodar's tears fell onto the bedsheet below, no bothering to wipe them from his face as they fell freely from him. "I can't do this anymore. I am alone in this world with you laying here like this and I have never felt so scared in my life."

Victoria clutched onto her chest tightly as her heart began to ache, knowing Athrodar had well and truly given up now. Yet she still couldn't bring herself to burst into that tent and run to him, hugging her father tightly and telling him she loved him and that he wasn't alone. At least, she couldn't bring herself to do it at that moment. What changed her mind was when she heard Athrodar stop talking and just begin to cry his heart out, bursting into the tent and rushing over to him before he even knew she was there, hugging him tightly and crying into his neck. "I'm sorry, dad. I am sorry for everything."

Athrodar looked at her for a second before wrapping his arms around his daughter in a tight hug. "No, you have nothing to be sorry about my little flower." He whispered the best he could, kissing her temple and not letting go of her. "This is a difficult time for the both of us and I know you were staying strong for the both of us."

"I just want her back." Victoria muttered into his shoulder, holding onto his tunic as tightly as she could and trying to get as much comfort in their hug as possible. "I don't want to lose another mom, especially one I love and look up to more than anyone else in this world."

"You won't lose her." Athrodar told her, hugging his daughter just a little tighter. "She will get better, I know she will. Your mother is a fighter and the best one I know. She won't let a fall stop her from being with her family. Just wait and see. She will wake up in a few days, I know she will. She won't want to miss Tahnir's fourth birthday."

Victoria began to smile, cuddling up to Athrodar and keeping her focus on only Sylvanas, resting her head on her father's chest as they were now both laying down. "I know she won't want to miss it. She loves our family too much to stay in this coma during Tahnir's birthday."

**Day 45:**

"How are you feeling?"

"I can move it a lot more than I could last week." Viraleth said, waving her arm around in front of the Princess who laughed lightly, smiling at the Ranger-General. "And you? How have you been?"

"As well as someome could be when her mother has been in a coma for a month and a half, edging closer to her brother's birthday and having a father who refuses to eat more than is necessary to keep him alive." The Princess put on a fake smile, knowing that the Ranger-General could see right through it but still persisting with it. "But hey, nothing is normal about this family anyway."

Viraleth chuckled and nodded her head, glancing passed the Princess and towards the tent both Athrodar and Sylvanas were in. "How is he doing? Last I heard he was getting better after you visited."

"He is getting better." Victoria agreed, looking back to the tent. "Still not the same as he once was, but I believe he is trying his best considering the circumstances." She smiled a little, keeping her focus on the tent. "They haven't been away from each other for years, always within shouting distance." Her smile turned sad, dropping her eyes from the tent to the floor. "Which is why this is so difficult for him. The one person he could always see by just looking around the room has been asleep for a month and a half."

"At least he still has you, my Lady." Viraleth told her. "Your presence around him seems to keep him less down than he has been lately."

"He promised me he would leave the tent today and walk around the camp. Just to get the sun on his face and to stretch his legs." Victoria glanced over her shoulder to Viraleth who smiled at her. "I hope this wakes him up from his stupor."

Viraleth was about speak but then stopped when Athrodar slowly walked out the tent, bowing her head to him. "My King. It's good to see you outside again."

Athrodar kept his hood up, mostly because the sunlight was blinding after spending a lot of time in the tent and under torchlight. "Thank you, Viraleth." He looked over to Victoria and hugged her immediately, closing his eyes and smiling when her grip around him tightened. "I'm good." He whispered to her, kissing the top of her head. "Let's just take this slow, show me around the camp and tell me what you have been doing."

Viraleth watched both the Princess and King begin to slowly walk around the camp in the Valley of the Four Winds, turning to face the tent Sylvanas was left in when they were out of ear shot and walking into it slowly, finding it difficult to look at the woman she had followed into countless battles laying in a coma for the better part of two months. "My Lady... This is not how I would have seen you end your career as a ranger." She began to walk over to the bed, sitting down on the chair beside it and placing a hand over the top of hers. "I thought you would have outlived us all and chose to retire when you were the last one left from our group."

The Ranger-General sighed, rubbing a thumb across her knuckles. "Now it's starting to look like you will never wake up and I don't know if I can live with that. You are my Queen but most of all you are my best friend." She smiled when she began to remember some of the things they done before Arthas' invasion. "Remember when we used to meet up every two weeks to discuss Athrodar? You put me in his company, made me write reports about only him and to keep you updated every time something happened that was worth noting. Yet after all of that, you still wanted to meet me in person to discuss everything, just to see the look on my face when I told you."

Her smile saddened when she realised Sylvanas probably couldn't hear her. "You're with him now though and I can see in your eyes when you look at him that you don't want to be away from him. I just sometimes miss having those talks with you. You were my Ranger-General and I was your Scout-Captain, but I always thought of you as my sister above anything else." She moved her hand from resting on top of Sylvanas' to taking hold of it. "I just want my sister back."

Viraleth pressed her head on Sylvanas' arm, only realising this was the first time they were alone since this all happened and trying to make the most of her time alone with her Queen. "I know you probably can't hear me, but I would like some sign if you can."

There was nothing for the longest period of time, making Viraleth sit up and let out a long sigh. "I don't know why I thought you could hear me. You would answer to Athrodar if you could." Just as she began to stand up, she felt her Queen squeeze her hand a little, making the Ranger-General look back down at her and then to her hand. "Wait.. did you just?"

As she continued to look at her hand, she began to think she imagined it until Sylvanas squeezed her hand again when she was about to leave again. "You did!" Viraleth exclaimed, sitting back down and holding onto her Queen's hand with both of her own. "I am here, my Lady. Athrodar will be back soon, I promise." She began to look around the tent, remembering she was the only one in there with her. "Let me find Liadrin." She suggested, only Sylvanas squeezed her hand again when she began to pull away. "No? It's okay, she is yet to do her daily check up on you. She will be by soon. I won't leave."

It was at least ten minutes before Liadrin came into the tent, enough time for Viraleth to see her Queen's fingers moving and making the Paladin stop just beside the Ranger-General when she saw it too. "When did this happen?" Liadrin asked, rushing around to the other side of the bed and taking hold of Sylvanas' hand whilst placing her free hand on her forehead.

"About ten minutes ago." Viraleth said, sounding and looking very hopeful. "This is good right? Like, this is very good?"

Liadrin looked over to the Ranger-General and nodded. "This is more than good. I believe she is waking up." The Paladin looked around the tent, not finding the one person who shouldn't be missing out on this. "Where is Athrodar?"

"He and Victoria are walking around the camp. If you leave now you will probably find them not too far from here." Viraleth looked down at Sylvanas' hand which continued to squeeze her own. "I'd go myself but she is keeping me here."

Liadrin nodded profusely. "I'll go now. Athrodar needs to be here."


	3. Chapter 3

**Awake**

Viraleth stayed with Sylvanas until Liadrin returned with the King and Princess, talking to her about everything that has happened since that tree fell with the Queen still in it. "Victoria has sent our new recruits to help the Pandaren in the Dread Wastes. I adviced against it but she was certain it was the best place for them." The Ranger-General shrugged her shoulders and smiled at the Queen who had now opened her eyes but had yet to say anything. "She was right. Our new rangers from Stormwind's academy are flourishing there and have helped keep the Mantid at bay."

The Ranger-General saw Sylvanas' face had remained neutral but whenever she looked in her eyes, she could see how proud she was of her daughter, but also great sadness that she had missed out on almost two months of seeing her daughter take charge and come into her own as a leader. "Liadrin should be here soon with Athrodar. He hasn't left your side." Viraleth let out a small laugh. "That was until today, the one day he has been waiting for."

Liadrin arrived back at the tent a few minutes later, moving out the way for Victoria and Athrodar who both set their eyes on Sylvanas, the Princess running over to her first and hugging her tightly, though making sure to not hurt her. "Mom!" She cried just before she ran to her, ignoring Liadrin's warnings the moment she hugged her but realising she couldn't feel Sylvanas' arms around her either. "Are you okay?" She looked back to Liadrin who had noticed the lack of movement on the Queen's end. "Is she okay?"

"I have yet to examine her fully, which I will do soon. For now I am going to give you guys five to ten minutes alone, make the most of it since I will need to be alone with her." Liadrin looked over to Athrodar who had remained stunned at the entrance of the tent, locking eyes with his Queen who squeezed her daughter's hand but kept her gaze on her King. "Go to her." The Paladin whispered, nodding towards the Queen.

Athrodar listened to the Paladin, smiling a little at her before moving towards the love of his life, watching Viraleth begin to leave too and sitting down where she was sitting, taking hold of Sylvanas' free hand and kissing the back of it, both King and Queen having tears evident in their eyes for different reasons. "I have missed you." Athrodar whispered, kissing the back of her hand serveral times in quick succession. "I thought I was going to lose you."

Sylvanas opened her mouth to speak but found no words came out, just squeezing his hand as tightly as she could and letting her tears of sadness roll down her cheeks. Unlike Athrodar, she wasn't crying due to happiness and relief that he was alive and awake, her tears were sad because she could see the state he was in, comparing it to what Viraleth told her, she could see he was at wit's end. She was also upset because she could see her King had been hurting the whole time she was out and couldn't do anything to help him, even now as her body had been sleeping for close to two months, everything was still waking up but that didn't stop her from trying to pull her King onto the bed with her.

Being two elves of the same mind, Athrodar knew what she was trying to do and climbed into the bed with her, pressing his ear to her chest and listening to her heart. Victoria followed suit and climbed in on the other side too and rest her head on her mother's shoulder, feeling Sylvanas press her cheek to the top of her head. "I love you, mom." The Princess whispered. "I tried to lead in your image and I hope I have done you proud."

As much as they didn't want it to end, the ten minutes Liadrin gave them came to a close quickly, the Paladin ordering both King and Princess to leave, only Sylvanas held onto Athrodar's hand when he began to leave which made him look back at her. "Okay." He muttered when he saw her pleading eyes. "I'll stay." He looked back to Liadrin who had a warm smile on her face. "I'm staying."

The Paladin bowed her head. "Very well." She began to walk towards Sylvanas, placing a hand on her arm and noticing she was looking at only her now, keeping hold of her King's hand. "I get it, you're worried about what I am going to tell you, but this one over here has been yelling at me daily to make you better, the least you can do is look at him."

Sylvanas broke a smile for the first time, looking over to Athrodar who smiled back at her, leaning forward and pressing his head against hers. "I need you to know that I never left your side just in case you woke up." He began to laugh lightly, kissing her forehead before being the one to press his cheek to the top of her head. "I almost gave up too. I know I can't do this without you. You're the one who keeps this family together, without you it would fall apart and almost did."

Sylvanas opened her mouth to speak again, straining hard but eventually getting sound to come out. "I... L-love y... You." She struggled to whisper, moving a hand to her throat which felt sore and closing her eyes when Athrodar placed a hand on her cheek.

"I love you too." He whispered back to her, kissing her lightly on the lips before tilting his head up a little and having his Queen bury her head in his neck. "We have a long road to recovery, but all of that can wait until you're ready to hold your children."

Liadrin's examination left the Queen's arm, finding nothing out of the ordinary except that the muscles were still sleeping, moving on to her chest and then abdomen. "Everything looks to be in order so far. Your body is still sleeping but with more of you waking up every minute or two, you should be able to move in an hours time? Maybe less than that." The Paladin glanced up at the Queen who was looking down at her, still keeping her head buried in her King's neck for closeness. "When you're ready, I will send someone back to Stormwind to get your two little ones, okay?"

Sylvanas nodded slightly, closing her eyes and resting against Athrodar. Despite being in a coma for a month and a half, she felt very tired and just wanted to sleep but at the same time she wanted to keep her King company, knowing he needed her and trying to offer comfort by any means necessary.

* * *

Victoria walked through the camp, smiling and laughing lightly as she couldn't believe her mother was awake, running her hands through her hair as she tried to take it all in and being stopped by Sera when she saw the Princess acting strangely. "My Lady, are you okay?"

"My mother is awake." The Princess told her Captain, letting out another small laugh and then taking a deep breath when she suddenly got light headed. "My mother is awake..." She repeated, looking up at Sera who looked speechless and stepping towards her before hugging her tightly. "I've got Sylvanas back."

Sera smiled and placed a hand on the top of her head, stroking her hair and holding he closely. "Then why are you here with me? Be with your mother, I can wait for our time alone."

Victoria shook her head. "Liadrin is examining her, she wanted to keep Athrodar in there for company." She looked up at the Night Elf and placed her hands on her face, pulling her down so she could kiss her. "I need a distraction. I can't sit by and wait to hear how she is so I came to find the one person who can distract me."

"Oh?" Sera raised an eyebrow at the Princess, catching a glimpse of her sister Elaria in the distance who was returning from the Dread Wastes. "Do you think we have the time? My sister has just walked back into camp and she looks like she has news."

"Good or bad?" Victoria asked, looking up at the Captain.

"It doesn't look good. But then again, my sister always looks like she is giving bad news." Sera chuckled lightly when Victoria raised her eyebrows at her. "Relax, she knows I am joking. I love my sister."

The Princess looked back to Athrodar's Captain, frowning at her. "She is alone."

Sera snaked an arm around the Princess, kissing the top of her head. "Let me speak to her. If it's bad, I will come to you with what she said." She smiled down at Victoria when she looked back at her. "Spend time with your mother. Who cares what Liadrin said? You've waited just as long as the rest of us to have her back."

Elaria watched her sister kiss the Victoria before walking over to her, both Night Elves now watching the Princess walk towards the tent with her parents inside. "Have you told her yet?"

"Of course not." Sera told her. "How can I?"

Elaria smirked, nodding her head slowly. "No, fair enough... You can't exactly tell the woman you're dating that you've not only slept with her, you've also slept with her parents." The Night elf began to smile wider, glancing over to her sister. "Who was better? Was it Athrodar and Sylvanas?"

Sera made sure to not look at her sister, knowing she would give away her answer with just her facial expression. "I'm not answering that." She heard her sister laugh, glancing over to her and cursing under her breath when she knew Elaria knew. "She's young, okay? She's not as experienced as they are."

Elaria chuckled and gently pat her sister's back. "Bring her by some time, Luna and I could teach her a lot of stuff."

Sera punched her sister's arm. "I'm not doing that and you know it." Remembering why she walked over to Elaria, Sera frowned at the Night Elf. "Why are you back? Did something happen?"

"What? No. We got word that Sylvanas is awake and I came by to check on my friend." Elaria looked over to the tent that held the Royal Family in it. "How is he?"

"Victoria said he's spending time with her now, so I can only assume he is happy." Sera watched Elaria continue to looked at the tent. "Why did you run off anyway? You know he needed you, just like you needed him a few years back."

Elaria began to rub her arm. "I.. I don't know. I think I was scared he would lose himself to grief and I just ran to the Dread Wastes with the recruits."

"So you haven't even seen him?" Sera asked, watching Elaria shake her head. "You're his Captain."

"I know!" Elaria cried, covering her face with her hands. "I came back to see him, but now I am standing here, getting lectured by my sister."

Sera moved an arm around Elaria and pulled her in for a hug. "Come here, little Starlight. I am sorry for lecturing you. It's just been a rough few weeks."

"I know..." Elaria muttered into her shoulder, moving her arms around her sister and hugging her in back. "I'll see him later, once everything has calmed down."

* * *

Sylvanas slept in Athrodar's arms, despite trying to stay awake for as long as possible, her body had other plans and she decided to bury herself in his chest, feeling his arms wrap around her before drifting off to sleep. Athrodar drifted off to sleep shortly after his Queen did, holding her close to him and never wanting to let go of her as he finally had her back. On the other side of the Queen was Victoria who was also sleeping, curled up into a tight ball with the bed sheets draped over her, staying close to her parents but not disrupting their embrace.

To round it all off, Snow was sleeping at the foot of the bed on the floor after following Victoria inside shortly after she left Sera, keeping the Princess company since their return from the Dread Wastes and not leaving her side since he had fully recovered a month ago.

They had recieved good news from Liadrin after she finished her examination, being told that they didn't need to worry as Sylvanas' body was waking up slowly and should soon be ready to move around within a day, though she will still be under Liadrin's close watch. "You'll be fine to walk around tomorrow, though you will need help and I will be nearby if anything happens." Were her words to the Royal Family, smiling and leaving them alone once Athrodar gave her his thanks.

Staying like that for several hours was an easy feat for the three of them since nobody dared enter the tent in the fear of disrupting their sleep, all the rangers and visiting pandaren leaving them be until the early hours of the morning, which was when Sylvanas woke up first and found she could move a lot more compared to last night, tilting her head back just enough to stare at her King who was sleeping peacefully in front of her. "Hey." She whispered, or at least tried to as she found her voice was still broken, though not as much as it was when she first woke up. "I'm awake."

When Athrodar didn't move, Sylvanas frowned at him before shifting forward and kissing him lightly as an attempt to wake him up that way, letting out a throaty chuckle when he began to kiss her back. "Morning." She whispered when his eyes opened, pressing her head against his when he smiled at her. "Today, no matter how long it takes, we are going to take a walk around camp."

Athrodar sat up, trying his best to not disturb their daughter who was sound asleep beside them. "Your voice is a lot better than it was. You can speak without needing to rub your neck." He brushed his Queen's hair away from her eyes when she sat up too, drinking in the smile and look of comfort she gave him at just the slightest touch after missing it for so long. "Do you think you are ready to walk around camp today? You've not even left the bed."

Sylvanas nodded, placing her hands on either side of his face. "I am ready. I can't get back those forty-five days I was sleeping, but I will fight my hardest to be stronger." She closed her eyes and fought back the tears that were about to make themselves known, feeling a lump in her throat as she felt extremely guilty despite not being able to control what had happened. "I promised to never leave you alone and I couldn't keep it."

Athrodar shook his head, taking one of her hands off his cheek and holding it with both of his. "Don't do that. You can't blame yourself for something you had no control over. You are here with us now and I am just happy you're not dead."

"Once this is all over." Sylvanas began, shifting up a little and laying closer to her King. "Once we've finished what needs to be done in Pandaria, I want to stop."

"You want to stop?" Athrodar repeated, tilting his head a little as he believed he was missing something. "What do you mean?"

"I want to stop leading." She clarified. "I want us to return to Windrunner Village, give the title of Queen of Stormwind to our daughter, make Vol'jin or Baine Warchief and we just live the rest of our lives in peace, away from war and all the fighting."

"A-are you sure?" Athrodar now asked, a little hesitant as he needed to know if she was certain before acting upon it.

"I almost died and left you and our family without me. I want to grow old with you and watch our kids grow up and make names for themselves." Sylvanas rest her head on his chest, listening to his heart beat. "If that means I have to step down and live a different life with you, so be it. I just want to be around long enough to see my visions of our future come to be."

"Okay." Athrodar said, stroking her hair. "Then we do that. Leave Stormwind in the hands of our daughter, Azeroth in the hands of someone we can trust and we spend the rest of our lives in southern Quel'Thalas, raising our children and spending many happy hours together."

"You're retiring?" Victoria asked, having overheard the last couple of sentences between her parents.

Sylvanas sat up slowly and looked down at Victoria, smiling at her and placing a hand on her face. "We are. After everything that has happened, I don't want to risk this family anymore. Your father and I, once we've finished here in Pandaria, are going to make you Queen of Stormwind." Just as she said it, she saw Victoria looking less than happy with that decision. "Unless you don't want to be Queen, then we will put the council in charge until your brother comes of age."

"I want to stay with you." Victoria told them, taking hold of her mother's hand. "If you're planning to go back to Windrunner Village for good once we're finished here, I'm coming with you. It won't be the same in Stormwind without you, and I can help in anyway that you want or need if we do return home. So no, I don't want to be Queen. I want yo be your daughter and nothing more."

Despite feeling a little upset about her decision, Sylvanas couldn't help but smile and hug her. "Okay." She whispered, kissing her on the cheek. "Then you can come with us. I think I would prefer it anyway, keeping my little ones close by."

"Then it's settled." Victoria said. "I am leaving with you after we've finished here."

* * *

For the rest of the day, Sylvanas was walking around the encampment with her King, being followed closely by Liadrin and Luna who had travelled from Stormwind after hearing about the Queens' recovery, both of them keeping close just in case the Queen needed their assistance, though she made it very clear that they weren't needed as she was taking it slow.

"They won't leave. You know that, right?" Athrodar smiled when his Queen held onto his arm tighter, placing his hand over both of hers and patting it lightly. "You know you are also pushing yourself much harder than they said you should."

"I don't care." Sylvanas held herself against him as a way to keep on her feet, ignoring the looks from every single ranger in the camp that saw her and focusing on staying on her feet. "I don't want to spend all day in bed when we are needed out there."

"You are going to be terrible when we retire." Athrodar told her. "Not wanting to stay in bed all day when we could be somewhere else? You know that is literally what retirement is. Especially if it's us." He leaned closer to whisper in her ear. "I would keep you in bed as often as possible."

"That is a very tempting offer." Sylvanas told him, stopping when they reached the part of the camp the orcs were settling in. "Did we find out who the leader of the Orcs are?"

Athrodar frowned at his Queen, knowing they were told but not remembering. "I... don't know?"

"It's Eitrigg." Liadrin said, interrupting the two of them. "He was their most senior officer and a good leader in his own right. It was the best of the rest situation."

"Oh..." Sylvanas looked up at Athrodar who began to nod slowly, remembering he was told who was the leader of the Orcs several times in the past. "Are you sure I was the one who hit my head?"

"I could have sworn it was Thrall..." Athrodar muttered, shrugging his shoulders. "No matter. I'm sure Eitrigg would be a good leader."

Sylvanas smiled and kissed her King's cheek. "You're adorable sometimes, you know that?"

"I have been told that, yes." Athrodar chuckled when Sylvanas began to pull on his arm. "Are you sure you don't want to rest? It's okay if you do."

"Nope. I'm looking around the camp and not stopping until we return to my tent."

Athrodar glanced back to Liadrin and Luna who both looked mildly frustrated that Sylvanas wasn't following their instructions, grinning and looking forward to where they were walking to next. "You're annoying the two women behind us by ignoring their advice."

"I need to walk around to make my legs stronger and I can't do that if I follow their advice." Sylvanas pulled on her King's arm again. "So let's go, explore the rest of the camp and then I will rest."

Athrodar glanced back to Liadrin and Luna again, knowing they had both heard what their Queen said and resigning to the fact they weren't going to get a better outcome. "Fine." Liadrin sighed, folding her arms across her chest and walking behind Sylvanas and Athrodar again. "But if she hurts herself, don't be surprised when I say I told you so."


	4. Chapter 4

**Preparations**

"So what's happening in the Dread Wastes?"

Elaria looked over to Sylvanas who had asked the question, stepping forward towards the desk she sat behind and bowing her head to the Queen. "My Lady. The recruits from Stormwind are clearing out the Mantid as we speak. They have played a huge role in helping the Shado-Pan in finding and clearing out their hives, taking back a quarter of the land within the month they've been here."

"So what you're saying is, they should take it all back for the Pandaren in three months?" Sylvanas asked, tilting her head at her King's Captain.

"That is the projection, yes. I don't know if they will do it or not, but we could send more rangers to help them out. Maybe the other races too if they plan to help out."

Sylvanas had been told about the bitterness between a few of the races whilst she had been in the coma, glancing over to her King who was talking to their daughter. "I will talk to Vol'jin and Tyrande, see if I can get them to spare a few fighters to help in the Dread Wastes." Her attention returned to the Night Elf. "And the Sha. Have we found any of them?"

"There have been increased skirmishes with lesser sha beings the last few weeks, mostly due to the other camps fighting each other when something small sparks into violence. But other than that, we have not come across anything significant, no." Elaria looked back to Sera who nodded her head to her. "There is one more thing, my Lady."

"Oh?" Sylvanas leaned back in her chair, already familiar with it after a day. "What is it?"

"Some of us, those most loyal to you, have heard whispers of retirement once we have finished here in Pandaria." Elaria looked back to Sera again who nodded once more. "We were wondering if the whispers were true and if they are, could those who want it, join you in Windrunner Village?"

Athrodar and Victoria had stopped talking the moment they heard Elaria's question, both looking over to Sylvanas who looked back to them. "I haven't got a problem with it." The King whispered to his Queen, taking hold of her hand. "A village of those most loyal to us was always the plan. Friends and family who we can trust that will help build our village into the jewel of Quel'Thalas."

Sylvanas began to smile, taking hold of her King's hand and kissing the back of it. "Very well, my love." She turned her head back to face Elaria, bowing her head at the Night Elf. "You are welcome to join us in Windrunner Village _IF _the whispers are true."

Elaria bowed her head, glancing over to Luna who looked excited about the prospect of settling down once and for all. "Thank you, my Queen."

Watching the Royal Captain return to the small croud that was in front of her, Sylvanas asked if there was anything important that needed to be shared and recieved several no's and shaken heads. "Good." She said with a smile, standing up and stretching after what felt like she had been sitting for days, only to realise it had been a couple hours when she saw it was still light out. "You may all leave." She said once her arms fell from above her head to her sides once more.

Athrodar quickly made the most of this opportunity and hugged his Queen from behind, wrapping his arms around her tightly and feeling her lean her whole body into him. "I don't ever want to let go of you." He whispered in her ear, making her smile and look down, trying to hide her embarrassment from the few left in the tent with them.

"I know." Sylvanas muttered, closing her eyes when Athrodar kissed her neck. "I think my body knows it's been without your touch for almost two months." She told him.

"Really?" Athrodar asked, raising an eyebrow at her. "You've only been awake for a day and a bit."

"And yet my body is telling me it is craving something that only one elf in this entire world can give me." She whispered, turning around and winking at him. "If only he was here to help me with my craving."

Athrodar placed his hands on her face, cupping her cheeks with both hands and leaning down to kiss her. "I would gladly help you with your craving." He whispered, pressing his head to hers. "But right now, we have a few more things to do around camp before we can even think about that."

"What if the only thing I want to do is standing right in front of me, cupping my face?"

Athrodar began to chuckle, kissing his Queen again and feeling her wrap her arms around his neck to hold him against her lips. Chuckling some more, Athrodar began to pull away only to have his Queen hold him against her for as long as she could before they both needed to breathe. "Very clever word play." He eventually told his Queen after they pulled away, brushing a thumb across her bottom lip. "There's not much more we need to do anyway. We just have to check in with Liadrin and send a few scouting parties north to Kun-Lai Summit."

"Is that all?" Sylvanas smiled at him. "That's not too bad at all."

"Exactly. So maybe we can fix your cravings after." Athrodar kissed her nose. "Let's go see Liadrin. Light knows she will yell at you for not resting, especially if she finds out what you plan to do once we're alone."

"Then don't tell her." Sylvanas whispered, kissing him lightly before dragging him out the tent.

* * *

"Who's the cutest? Yes, you're the cutest." Victoria kissed Snow on the nose, rubbing his cheeks and making him purr loudly. "You are my big, vicious boy who will protect his mother against everything, aren't you?"

Sera shook her head and smiled as she watched the Princess talk to Snow like he was baby. "If I had known you two would bond like this, I would have gotten him the day we met."

"That would have been amazing." Victoria said, kissing Snow on the nose once more. "We would be a lot closer than we are now, little one." She hugged his head, pressing her ear to the top of it and hearing him purr loudly, feeling him vibrate her entire body with how loud he was. "Are you ready to leave in ten minutes?" The Princess asked her Captain who was still standing over her with a smile on her face.

"I am, my Lady. Our company is ready to leave too, when you're ready."

Victoria closed her eyes and remained sat down in front of Snow, keeping her ear pressed against the top of his head as it rest on her lap. "Give me two minutes." She told her Captain. "I want to be alone with him before we set out."

Sera stepped out the tent, spinning on her heel and looking back into the tent and towards the Princess when something crossed her mind. "Are you leaving him here?"

"What? No. Since we arrived on Pandaria three months ago, I have rarely spent time alone with my little guy. He misses his mother and wants to be alone with me as much as I want to be alone with him." She scratched behind his ear, listening to him purr for close to five minutes before joining her company instead of the two she gave them.

"Do you not want to stay here for a few days now that your mother is awake?" One of the rangers in her company asked.

"I told Liadrin what I was doing, so she will tell them if they ask. Right now we have to help claim more of the Dread Wastes to help the Pandaren regain their land." Victoria climbed onto Snow's back, petting the side of his belly and having him walk forward, leading her company out of the camp. "They will leave for Kun-Lai Summit when their scouts return with good news, so they will have their hands full."

Sera rode beside the Princess, frowning at her. "What happened to wanting to never be away from them again?"

Victoria glanced over to her Captain, smiling a little before looking down the road they were riding along. "I don't want to be away from them, which is why I am -" The Princess stopped herself, remembering that her parents were keeping the retirement away from public knowledge, something that almost slipped out during the meeting close to an hour ago. "Which is why I told Liadrin to tell them where I am going. If we help in the Dread Wastes, we can redeploy our recruits to Kun-Lai Summit once we finish helping the Shado-Pan there."

Sera narrowed her eyes at the Princess but chose not to press any further, deciding to ride beside her as they made their way to the Dread Wastes. "Are we expecting anything on our way to our recruits?"

"Taran Zhu said we should have a clear path from our camp, so I should think not. But keep an eye out just in case." Victoria glanced down to her foot, looking at the quiver of arrows that sat beside it for easy reach as well as her swords that were paired together beside the quiver. "I don't want to be ambushed whilst we're on our way to reinforce the recruits."

* * *

"I want to go home for a couple days." Sylvanas whispered, stroking circles with her index finger on Athrodar's chest. "I've been awake for two days and I have yet to see our children. We should go home and spend time with them before we go north."

Athrodar smiled and looked down at his Queen who's head was resting on his arm whilst she concentrated on the circular patterns she was tracing on his chest. "Then we should go home so you can pick up and hold your son and daughter, kiss them, play with them. Whatever you want, just to spend time with them and let them know you are okay." He leaned over and kissed the top of her head. "And to see that they are okay too."

Still coming down from her post-coital bliss, Sylvanas placed her hand flat on her King's chest after she had finished drawing circles and sat up to look down at him, having the bed sheets fall from her and now cover her from the waist down. "We should go now, so we can see them earlier and spend more time with them."

Athrodar now looked up at his Queen and saw her eyes were pleading with him, sitting up and taking hold of her hand. "Yes, okay. We can go home now and spend time with them. They haven't hugged you in over two months and Tahnir is turning four next week. I am certain he would want to spend as much time with you as possible during these next few days."

"Great!" Sylvanas climbed out of bed and began to pull Athrodar out of it too, forgetting about the one glaring problem with her plan.

Though that was something Athrodar wanted to make aware before it became an even bigger problem. "You may want to get dressed." He said, sitting on his knees in the bed and looking up at his Queen who looked down at herself. "Despite my wanting to keep you looking like this all day every day, you do have to get changed, my love."

Sylvanas chuckled and seductively walked over to her King, cupping his face in her hands and passionately kissing him. "I too want to keep you looking like this all day every day. Laying flat on your back, tied up and waiting for your Queen to come by and take advantage of your position for her own benefits." She stretched her leg out and dragged over her leggings until they sat balled up by her feet. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get dressed."

Athrodar laid down on his side and watched his Queen get dressed, rarely taking his eyes off her since she woke up and finding it difficult to do so now. "So one of your fantasies is to keep me tied up in bed, all day long, until you feel the need to take advantage of the situation?"

"Mhm." Sylvanas agreed, pulling up her leggings and reaching for her boots. "It's just one of the few I've had, but that one is definately the most exciting for me, don't you think?" She slipped one foot into a boot, followed by her second foot into the second boot and tightening them up. "Knowing you are laying naked in our bed, unable to move and having no control over what I could do to you." She climbed back into bed, only to lean over to the other side and pick up her leather tunic and shoulderguards.

"And what would you do to me?" Athrodar asked, having his leggings and tunic thrown at him by his Queen when she picked them up with her clothes.

"Definately torture you." She said, realising that didn't sound at all how she had meant it. "Not like that. I mean that I would invite a third party to our room, or even just leave it with the two of us. I would do so many things that would make you want to join in but then you realise you can't because I have tied you up." Sylvanas placed the leather tunic on herself, loving the change from corset, gloves, shoulderguards and breastplate to just the tunic as it made this whole process of getting dressed a lot easier. "Therefore, I am sexually torturing you because I have all this power and you have none."

"And that is exciting for you?" Athrodar now asked, a little surprised she found that exciting.

"Yes, but here's why. Once I untie you, I know you will ravage me like the beast you are, leaving me quivering, panting and mewling on the bed, trying to stop my head from spinning." She leaned down and kissed her King hard, giggling when he rolled her onto her back and pinned her beneath him.

"That does sound like a fun plan. Aside from torturing me, that is a plan I can get onboard with." He began to kiss a trail down her neck, having her arms wrap around his neck and letting out a quiet moan when Athrodar reached a sensitive spot. "Any opportunity to blow your mind and leave you broken for an hour." He whispered in her ear before biting it lightly.

"We can't do this." Sylvanas moaned, digging her nails into his back when he continued to kiss her neck. "We are going home today."

"Then stop me." Athrodar whispered, kissing down her chest and between her breasts before stopping at her stomach, lifting her tunic up and kissing her belly button softly. "Or I will continue south a little more."

Sylvanas bit her bottom lip when he continued to kiss her stomach, not saying another word and her hooked his fingers into the waistband of her leggings, pulling them down until they sat at her knees and gasping when she felt her King's tongue give her one long lick before he fastened his mouth around her nether lips. "Oh..."

"My Lady!" Seliana yelled in the distance, stopping Athrodar from pleasuring his Queen and pulling up her leggings just before the Royal Captain walked into the tent, forgetting he was still completely naked.

"What is it?" Sylvanas asked, watching her Captain stare at her King and swearing she saw some drool. "Seliana."

"Yes, sorry." The Royal Captain shook her head to clear it, looking at her Queen and ignoring Athrodar who had also noticed the Captain staring at him, deciding to sit in a way that made her feel uncomfortable as both he and Sylvanas knew she wanted to join them in bed on several occasions, but always turned them down for the fear of not living up to their expectations. "I am here because of your daughter, my Lady. She's not in camp and neither are her company."

"We know." Sylvanas told her. "She told Liadrin - who told us - she is returning to the Dread Wastes to lead the recruits in helping the Shado-Pan claim that land." The Queen looked down at her King who wasn't even trying to cover himself up. "Thankfully she isn't here now to see her father like this."

"She's seen worse." Athrodar joked, looking up at his Queen who rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll get dressed."

"Thank you." Sylvanas sat up in the bed, patting on the space next to her whilst looking at the Captain. "Come on, sit. I know I was asleep for forty-five days, but I am still your Queen, don't be afraid of me."

Seliana smiled a little and sat down beside her Queen on the bed, working hard to keep her gaze off Athrodar who she didn't love, but was just physically attracted to. Even more so after the countless times she heard her Queen scream his name in pure ecstacy. "How have you been, my Lady? Are you feeling well after everything that has happened?"

Sylvanas admired her Captain's ability to keep herself distracted from her King, leaning forward a little to look at her face. "You know you are welcome to join us any time you wish." She whispered to her Captain, placing a hand on her knee. "It's fine if you're nervous, if you feel that you might not be up to our standards - which are very low by the way - that's fine too." Sylvanas looked over to Athrodar who was placing his cloak around him, smiling when he looked at her in the reflection of the mirror he was standing in front of. "We always work to please the guests in our bed."

If her face didn't show it, the reserved body language of Seliana certainly did as she became embarrassed at her Queen's proposition. Not the first time she was offered a place in their bed and certainly won't be the last, especially if she keeps looking at Athrodar like she is going to pounce on him. "Th-thank you, my Lady... B-but I will have to decline again. I am here to protect you."

"Okay, okay." Sylvanas squeezed her inner thigh and smiled at her Captain. "Just remember, any time you want to join us, feel free to join us."

Athrodar watched Seliana leave the tent, holding out Sylvanas' cloak when she got out of bed and began to walk towards him. "One last item of clothing before we can leave." He said, throwing the cloak around her and fastening it to her shoulderguards before kissing her lightly when it was done. "There. Now you're ready to come home with me."

Sylvanas stepped forward and hugged him tightly. "Let's go home then."


	5. Chapter 5

**The Objective**

Victoria arrived in the Dread Wastes a day earlier than predicted, meeting up with the ranger recruits sent there a month ago and getting an update from their Captain on what has happened whilst she was away. "The total landmass we have taken now is thirty percent." Cyndia told the Princess. The Ranger was put in charge of training the recruits after all the original trainers were sent to this land, or in the case of Vereesa, had to return to Dalaran to be with her husband. "With the extra boost you and your company bring, we should take the next objective relatively easily. At least I hope we do."

"What's the objective?" Victoria asked, walking with Cyndia towards the command tent for the rangers that were set up by the Shado-Pan after they had secured a partnership with the Pandaren fighters.

"We have found it." Cyndia told the Princess, hoping she understood what she was talking about without needing to go into much detail.

"Found what?" Sera asked, never leaving Victoria's side the moment they arrived in camp.

"The Mantid's main nest." Cyndia told the Night Elf, looking back to Victoria who was looking at her wide eyed. "Before you ask, we did send scouts to check it out and we are almost certain it's the main nest. More workers and soldiers coming in and out of it every minute than the lesser ones had in a day. We had enough here to push in and assault it whilst sustaining an acceptable amount of casualties. But with you and your company here, we should get by with less deaths than we first predicted."

"How many deaths are we talking about?" Sera now asked.

"Thirty percent." Cyndia answered honestly.

"And how many before we came here?" Victoria asked this time.

"With both Pandaren and our recruits combined? Probably between fifty and sixty." She saw both Sera's and Victoria's faces grow cold, knowing that was way more than they should lose in any other scenario, but she had to get her point across. "This nest is the heart of the Mantid's colony. Wiping this out, no matter the cost of life, would secure the rest of the Dread Wastes for the Pandaren. Taran Zhu and I both agreed that, no matter how costly, we were going to take this nest." She looked at Victoria and Victoria alone for the final part. "You sent us here to help the Shado-Pan. You know what we must do, what we must sacrifice in order to help them here."

Victoria sighed, nodding her head slowly. "I know... I know..." She looked over to Sera who still wasn't comfortable with a thirty percent loss. "This sounds like the best option, Sera. We came here to help the Shado-Pan and they need that help now."

Sera looked over to Cyndia who was waiting for the Night Elf to be onboard with the plan. "Fine. When is the assault?"

"Tomorrow." Cyndia told her, bowing her head to the Princess. "I need to get back to the recruits. I have to go over the plan with their team leaders before they start getting worried."

Victoria waved her away. "Go, I'll talk to my company too." She looked over to Sera who nodded and left shortly after Cyndia did, leaving the Princess alone to walk around the tent, rubbing her chin in thought when something dawned on her. "They would have attacked without us... We're a day early and by the time we got here, they would have started the assault." She glanced over to Snow who somehow felt her troubled presence, resting a hand on top of his head when he stood beside her, pressing himself against her leg. "I know, baby. We're not even allowed a days rest."

By the time the Captain returned with the Squad leaders, Victoria was already sitting down behind a desk with Snow sleeping on the floor beside her, not standing up when the Squad Leaders along with Sera stood in front of her. "What's the plan?" The Captain asked, speaking for the group.

"Well, this is Cyndia's mission, so I will put her in charge. Whatever we have to do, she will tell us. I just needed you all here so I can tell you what we're all getting in to." Victoria looked down at Snow who was still sleeping, smiling a little at how peaceful he looked. "They have found the main Mantid nest and we are going to assault it. Now before you all get excited to wipe out these insect bastards, there is one catch." She looked over to Sera who still didn't look comfortable with it. "It's predicted around thirty percent of us, this company, the recruits and the Shado-Pan won't make it out of there alive."

There were a few mumblings amongst the Squad Leaders as they spoke about the mission, most of it was about whether or not they should attack with a casualty rate so high whilst the small few were understanding of why their Princess was telling them. "It's the key to taking the Dread Wastes, isn't it?" One of the Rangers asked, looking over to Victoria.

"That is what Cyndia and the Shado-Pan believe, yes." Victoria placed her hand on the top of Snow's head as he slept, lightly stroking circles on his head to keep him calm and asleep. "If we take this nest, kill all their leaders inside, it should cripple the Mantid enough that the rest of the campaign here will go by without too much resistance."

"At least that's the plan." Sera said, looking back at the Squad Leaders. "We just need to take out the entire hive."

"Can it be done?" A second ranger asked, looking a lot less hopeful than Victoria wanted. "We have only just been given life again. If we were still Dark Rangers, I would have gladly gone in there despite the thirty percent probability of death. But now that I have something to fight for? I don't want to die again."

"Then do your job and do it to the best of your ability." Victoria told her, standing up from her chair finally and stepping over Snow who was too stubborn to move. "If you remember everything from your training, what you have learnt over the years, you won't need to worry about dying because you will do everything right." She looked around at her sisters and brothers who were either unsure or, in the rare case, looking forward to the task. "Any of you that do die tomorrow, I will make sure to remember your names and give them to our Queen. She will make sure that they are never forgotten and neither will the Pandaren. For tomorrow will be filled with much glory, we just have to take it."

That seemed to give confidence to a few more, but half were still uncertain about the task, making the Princess sigh. "Listen to me my sisters and brothers." She said, placing her hands on two seperate shoulders and looking at the owners of them before looking at each individual ranger. "We are here to help build the Azeroth our King and Queen envisioned for their children. They can't be here to help us because they are going north to Kun-Lai Summit, so I am here in their stead. That means that I won't be standing back and letting you all fight on your own. Your Princess will be there beside you, fighting with you against an enemy that will see this land destroyed."

Victoria continued to look around at her rangers, adding one more thing to her speech. "I won't force any of you to fight with us. But those who do want to sit this out, I don't want to see you here when we return. I will also give your names to my mother and she will strip you of any position you hold in her army."

"Then it looks like we're all going with you into that hive." Sera said, turning to face Victoria who turned to face her at the same time, both smiling at each other. "You know that I would follow you to the heart of an Old God's army and into the middle of the burning legion, my Lady. I will always fight by your side."

Victoria placed her hand on her arm. "I know Sera. For that I am eternally grateful."

"When tomorrow is it happening?" Another ranger asked.

"I don't know. What I do know is that you should all be well rested and awake before we do attack." Victoria was about to dismiss them whilst walking over to her desk again, only to turn around and look at them once more before doing so. "It might be the last time any of you get to do it so..." She glanced over to Sera who stood beside her desk. "Enjoy yourselves today. Take warmth in each others company and get anything you need to do out of the way before tomorrow. We won't have enough time if we have to wait for half of you to get dressed."

The Squad Leaders all smiled, knowing what she was talking about and having a few of them take each other's hands. "Inform your squads of the mission and my proposal. Dismissed." Victoria sat down on her chair and saw a few of her rangers leave the tent in a hurry, dragging along the lucky elf or two who was about to recieve a lot of attention from their brothers and sisters in arms. "And as for you." She said, looking up at her Captain who remained the last one in the tent. "Don't think I forgot about you."

Sera smiled at her, climbing onto the desk and sitting down just in front of her, legs dangling and swinging back and forth just in front of the Princess who was looking up at her. "Yes, my Lady?"

"I am scared about tomorrow." Victoria admitted, placing a hand on her knee. "Help me forget about everything."

Sera climbed off the desk and knelt down in front of the Princess, placing her hands at the hem of her leggings. "I will do everything in my power to help you forget about your worries, my Lady."

* * *

"Papa!" Tanadia cried, running to Athrodar and leaping at him, hugging him tightly when she was secure in his arms. "I've missed you!"

Athrodar hugged his daughter tightly, closing his eyes and kissing her cheek when he felt her hold onto him as if her life depended on it. "Oh, I've missed you too little one. I am sorry I couldn't be back earlier."

"Don't be silly, papa. I know you couldn't make it back any earlier." When she was put back down onto the ground, Tanadia looked behind her father and saw Sylvanas talking to some of the rangers who came back with them to get some rest from the front lines. "Is she okay?"

Athrodar looked back to his Queen and smiled at his daughter's concern. "She's perfect. She has come home to spend time with your brother and sister, since she has been away from them for too long. Plus it's your brother's birthday next week so she is trying to convince me to stay the week until the day after."

"Maybe I can convince you to stay longer too, papa. I have so much to show you and it might take all week." Tanadia smiled at Sylvanas when she looked down to her, the three of them still standing in the Mage Tower after running into the young priestess. "Hi!"

"Hello, little one." Sylvanas said with a smile, crouching down in front of her step-daughter and hugging her tightly. "You have gotten much bigger than when I last saw you."

"I have learnt more spells as well." Tanadia said, smiling brightly at the Queen. "I want to show you both too!"

Sylvanas chuckled lightly, kissing her forehead. "Sometime soon perhaps. We need to get back to the Keep to see your brother and sister, okay? You are welcome to join us."

"Yeah!" Tanadia took hold of Sylvanas' hand when she offered it, practically pulling the Queen along with her as they began to make their way back to Stormwind Keep.

"She hasn't stopped talking about you." Thalina told Athrodar once their daughter and Sylvanas had left the portal room. "She also doesn't know the real reason why you didn't visit. It would distract her from her training if she knew the truth."

Athrodar smiled and looked down at the ring on his finger, rubbing it with his thumb before looking back up to the Magister. "Thank you. I didn't want her to see me like that either. I was in a dark place whilst Sylvanas was in the coma, even Victoria didn't want to see me for the longest time."

Thalina stepped forward and placed a hand on his arm, rubbing up and down lightly to comfort him. "You look better now." She said, smiling at him.

"I feel better too. Seeing her like that, in bed and unable to wake up? It crippled me."

"I know." Thalina whispered, stepping forward and hugging him. "I'm sorry I didn't come to visit. I had to look after our daughter and Liadrin was down there with you, trying to wake up our Queen."

Athrodar slowly moved his arms around the Magister, hugging her back and thinking of it as nothing more than friendly hug. "It's okay. I think it was for the best that nobody saw me like that." He pulled back and looked down at the Magister who smiled up at him. "How have you been?"

"Your mother didn't tell you?" Thalina saw Athrodar shake his head which made her roll her eyes. "That woman... Your mother likes to keep things close to her chest if she feels she can use it in the near distant future." The Magister sighed and looked up at Athrodar who was frowning at her. "I have been going out a lot recently. Not on dates per say, but to adult parties my cousin has been inviting me to." She began to smile when he raised an eyebrow at her. "No, I haven't been sleeping with her. That would be wrong. But I have met a few men who have been wonderful to talk to. It's all upper class, mostly the rich and somewhat famous. No factions leaders yet, but we have had a few high ranking soldiers join the parties."

Athrodar smiled when he saw Thalina's train of thought head off into another direction. "I'm glad you're enjoying yourself, Thal. I know you still love me and I'm sorry I can't give you what you want, but to hear that you are putting yourself back out there, even if it is to have some fun, is a great sign." He leaned down and kissed her cheek. "I hope you find who you are looking for, you deserve it after everything you have done."

Thalina smiled and placed her hand over her cheek, feeling her heart pound a little faster when she continued to play that small gesture over and over again. "I will find someone." She whispered to herself, watching Athrodar leave the Mage Tower. "Maybe not you, but someone close."

When Athrodar caught up to his Queen, she was already in Stormwind Keep watching Tahnir play with Tanadia seconds after they arrived. He began to sneak up on his Queen and successfully hugged her from behind, lifting her up so she wasn't touching the ground. "No! Put me down!" She cried, giggling away whilst her King was now spinning her around. "Stop!" She yelled, though there was no venom, only pure joy as she continued to laugh.

Once he did put her down, Athrodar was hit by a barrage of slaps on her arm. "Ow. I put you down, didn't I?"

"Not quick enough!" Sylvanas said, crossing her arms and trying to look angry, but could only manage to smile before stepping forward and into the loving arms of her King as he hugged her. "I didn't actually hurt you, right?"

"Of course not." Athrodar whispered, stroking her hair and watching Tanadia show off some of her spells to Tahnir. "I'm surprised you're not holding onto our son like your life depends on it."

"I will." Sylvanas told him, pulling back and spinning on her heel to face their son, stepping forward and picking him up the moment he saw her approach. "Hello, little one." She said quietly, smiling when he snuggled up to her the second he was picked up. "I have missed you so much."

Whilst his Queen was hugging their son, Athrodar hugged his mother who looked worried about him. "I'm okay now, mother." He whispered to her, having not seen her since the one time she visited. "I have her back, that's all that matters."

"Good. You know I worry about you when I can't see you. I don't want to lose my baby again." Illana kissed her son's forehead, stroking his hair as he rest his head on her shoulder. "How long do you plan on staying? I hope it's long enough for your son's birthday."

Athrodar smiled and stood up straight, looking down at his mother who was waiting for his answer. "Since everyone keeps asking that we stay for a week, I suppose we may have to."

"Excellent." Illana said, turning to face her daughter-in-law who was bouncing up and down with Tahnir in her arms. "She looks fit enough already, you'd never guess she was in a coma for the last two months or so." Glancing over her shoulder, she spotted an elf that reminded her that she had some news. "Oh. Your sister-in-law is here with her twins. She heard about Sylvanas and was actually stopping by before going to Pandaria."

Athrodar looked over to where his mother was looking, catching Vereesa talking to her twins who had grown a lot since Athrodar first saw them. "They must almost be of age, right?"

"She tells me they are fourteen." Illana said just before her son went over to them.

"There he is, my brother." Vereesa hugged Athrodar and kissed him on the cheek. "How are you feeling?"

"Why does everyone keep asking me that? Sylvanas was the one who just woke up from a coma."

"True." Vereesa said, placing a hand on his arm. "But you're the one who we all heard was taking it the hardest." She looked passed Athrodar and towards her sister who was placing a torrent of kisses on Tahnir's face, making him giggle with everyone one that landed on him. "So I ask again, how are you feeling?"

Athrodar looked back to his Queen and smiled brightly when he saw her hugging their son, both of them with their eyes closed as deep down Athrodar believed his son could sense how much Sylvanas missed them. "I am a lot better than I was a few days ago. I have my Queen back and she now has her family within arms reach." He looked down to Vereesa who smiled at her sister's actions. "Go talk to her. I'm sure she would love to hug you too."

Sylvanas placed her son back on the floor after a few more minutes of hugging and kissing him, catching a glimpse of her sister who had made her way over to her quietly and almost instantly hugging her tightly. "Little Moon." Was all she said, making her little sister break down into tears in her arms.

"I was worried I had lost my sister." Vereesa said, her bottom lip quivering as she held onto her sister tightly, burying her face in her shoulder. "We are the only two left in our family. I don't want to be the last one."

Sylvanas shook her head, stroking her sister's hair and shushing her as she continued to cry into her shoulder. "Shhh it's okay, Little Moon. You won't lose anyone else. I'm not going anywhere."

"I love you, Lady Moon. You always know what to say." Vereesa pulled off Sylvanas and smiled at her sister. "We used to rely on Alleria to pick us up, but she's no longer here." Her smile turned sad. "I miss her. She used to sing me to sleep when I was little and upset."

Sylvanas smiled remembering those days that felt like an eternity ago. "You were a scared little pup, weren't you? Now you've grown into a very confident ranger." She looked over her sister's head and towards her twin nephews. "I used to stand by the door and lean on the frame whilst she sat on your bed, stroked your hair and sang you to sleep." Her smile grew a little wider, looking back down to her sister who was trying to remember Sylvanas standing there. "She used to do the same to me."

Vereesa widened her eyes at her sister, not knowing she had the same troubles she did at getting to sleep. "I didn't know.. You never told me she sang to you too."

"It was before you were born. I missed our parents a lot and because our mother was Ranger-General, she was never at home. So Alleria, whenever she got time off her Ranger duties, would sleep in my bed and hold me until I feel asleep." Sylvanas clutched at her heart when she felt it begin to constrict, never expecting those memories to affect her in such a way. "Perhaps that's why I sleep better with his arms around me."

Vereesa looked back to Athrodar who sat with Tanadia, Tahnir and now her twins, Giramar and Galadin, all of them watching the young priestess show off her new spells. "I'm the same with Rhonin. Perhaps Alleria just conditioned us to find someone when she wasn't around to get us to sleep."

"You mean like brainwashing?" Sylvanas asked, raising an eyebrow at her sister who began to chuckle.

"Of course not. But that's not a bad idea, maybe she did brainwash us into finding someone who would comfort us in our sleep." Vereesa looked back at her sister who was watching her King. "Did she ever know about your thing for him?"

"Who, Alleria?" Sylvanas saw Vereesa nod, smirking and returning her attention to Athrodar. "She was the only person I told, outside of Viraleth and his family. After she disappeared, I guess I just never had the need to tell anyone else. You were focussing on Rhonin and I had to protect Quel'Thalas." She shrugged her shoulders. "She encouraged me to go for it, I just never built up the courage. At the time it was only to stop the whispers about me needing to find someone, so Alleria thought he was the best out of a bad situation when I told her my plan." Sylvanas began to laugh lightly. "Now he's the best out of any situation. I can't imagine my life without him."

Vereesa took hold of her hand and saw her look down at the gesture. "She would be so proud of you. You were the one person she was afraid would end up alone because you never opened up to anyone besides our family. And if she were here now, she would fight you over her namesake. Your daughter would be more loved than she could ever understand."

Sylvanas looked over to Illana who nodded once before leaving to get the little Princess. "Give it a couple minutes and you can hold her if you'd like."

"I would love to hold my niece." Vereesa said, looking excited at the prospect. "I haven't held her since she was born. I miss the newest member of our family."

The next couple of minutes passed by quickly and Vereesa was handed little Alleria when Illana returned with her, the younger Windrunner sister falling in love with her niece. "Oh yeah. Alleria would love her so much." She whispered, bouncing up and down and swaying back and forth to keep her calm. "I can already see you are going to be an amazing ranger."

"Are you okay being alone with her?" Sylvanas asked, watching her sister nod whilst keeping her gaze focused on the baby in her arms. "I'll be right back." She whispered to her daughter, kissing her on the forehead before moving over to Athrodar and tapping his shoulder, getting him to stand up in front of her. "About retiring." She began watching her King begin to smile.

"Already going back on the idea?" He asked.

"No, I am sticking by it. I was just coming here to ask if you would flirt with the idea of inviting my sister and her family to join us." Sylvanas began to twirl a loose piece of string around her finger, finding it a little awkward to ask as she was unsure of his response but knowing she had to.

"Of course." Athrodar said, laughing when he saw his Queen look relieved. "Were you actually thinking it would be a problem? You know I love your sister as if she were mine." He looked over to Vereesa who kept her unwavering attention on their daughter. "And she clearly loves our daughter, so I would be more than happy to have her join us. If she wants to of course."

Sylvanas smiled and kissed her King. "Thank you. I'm all she has in this world, besides her husband and twins. I want to keep her safe and I can only do that if she is nearby."

"Then we invite her to come stay in Windrunner Village again. She has yet to stay for more than a few hours and an invitation to stay for a week might swing her towards staying forever." Athrodar stroked her cheek with his thumb, travelling to her lips and brushing his thumb across her bottom lip, smiling when she kissed it. "It could work."

"My King, coming up with plans to make his Queen happy. Even if it involves tricking her sister into joining us in Windrunner Village." She kissed him hard on the lips, wrapping her arms around his neck at the same time. "I love you." She whispered once they broke off the kiss, rubbing her nose against his. "And I know you love me too. There you didn't have to say it."

Athrodar chuckled, kissing her again before hugging her tightly. "I'm still going to say it. I love you too."


	6. Chapter 6

**Renewal**

Victoria shifted in her bed, rolling over to face Sera who was sound asleep beside her, snuggling into the Night Elf who let out low chuckle before hugging the Princess tightly against her as Victoria's movements woke her up. "It's too early to wake up." The Captain commented, biting her bottom lip when Victoria's knee pressed between her legs. "And I'm too tired for that."

"That's fine." Victoria whispered to her, smiling as she rest her head on one of her breasts, the two of them sleeping naked in the Princess' bed. "Thank you, by the way. For distracting me."

"You're welcome, my Lady." Sera whispered, stroking her hair. "Now shh, we need to sleep or we'll be too tired for the attack tomorrow."

Victoria grinned and took Sera's nipple into her mouth, twirling her tongue around the little bump and making the Captain moan and grip onto her head tightly, holding her against her breast. "Just a bit more fun." The Princess whispered, licking her tongue up from Sera's nipple to her lips, planting a kiss there shortly after. "I have too much energy to sleep."

Sera opened her eyes only to roll them, rolling the Princess onto her back and laying on top of her shortly after. "Okay. I will help you sleep. But I need you to promise me you will sleep."

Victoria bit her bottom lip as Sera began to make a trail of kisses down her chest, stopping on her stomach when she didn't respond. "I promise, I will sleep peacefully with you once I am drained of energy." She stroked her Captain's hair the second she went back to planting kisses down her body, biting her bottom lip before letting out a moan the second she felt Sera's tongue explore her nether lips. "Oh..."

Sera let out a throaty chuckle after hearing Victoria's lustful moans, pushing a finger inside the Princess and making her arch her back, pushing a second finger inside whilst placing her free hand on her chest to keep her steady. "Careful, my Lady. Don't want to hurt yourself before tomorrow either."

Victoria just smiled, biting the back of her hand to keep quiet as to not wake up the rest of the camp. The one person, or nightsaber, she did wake up however was Snow who, after hearing her let out another moan, woke up and looked over to the Princess before skulking out the tent, laying outside until they were finished, for the second time that night. "He's off to sulk now." Victoria managed to say, arching her back again and letting out a louder moan than she meant but not caring in the slightest.

"He gets embarrassed when his mother has sex." Sera said, smirking at the Princess. "Can you blame him?" She curled the two fingers inside Victoria, making her eyes widen and her mouth open in a perfect "O" as she peaked, gripping onto Sera's hair tightly when she began to lap up her juices.

"Gah! Sera... Don't stop." Victoria wrapped her legs around her Captain's head to stop her from moving away. "I can feel a second orgasm... Aah!"

The Royal Captain began to smile triumphantly, removing her fingers from the Princess whilst she was catching her breath and licking them clean. "You taste great." She whispered, laying down beside Victoria who was still panting and kissing her on the cheek. "Tired now?"

Victoria nodded her head profusely, rolling onto her side and kissing her Captain hard on the lips, tasting herself and grinning at her once she pulled away. "I could sleep like a rock. Especially with you beside me."

Sera pulled the bed sheets up and covered both her and Victoria, spooning her when she shuffled back into her arms. "Then sleep, my Lady. I am not going anywhere." She glanced down to the foot of the bed, catching a glimpse of Snow slowly walking back into the tent before climbing onto the bed and sleeping across both of them. "Especially now that this one is here."

Victoria just smiled, keeping her eyes closed as Sera wrapped her arms around her and Snow rested his head on her legs. "Goodnight, Sera."

"Goodnight, my Lady." Sera whispered back to her.

* * *

Sylvanas winced as she watched Athrodar spin and throw their son around, gasping when he pretended to drop him, only to catch him just before he hit the floor with Tahnir giggling the whole time. "Stop!" She yelled the moment Athrodar pretended to drop their son again, holding onto his foot so he was dangling upside down. "You're going to give me a heart attack if you keep doing that."

"What?" Athrodar asked, feigning innocents. "He's laughing isn't he? You can't yell at me for making him happy."

"It's the manner in which you're doing it." Sylvanas winced and looked away again when Athrodar took hold of Tahnir's wrist and let go of his foot, flipping him around and dangling him now the right way up. "Like that!" She cried covering her eyes with her hands. "Just.. Just put him down. Safely!"

The second Athrodar put his son down safely, Sylvanas took hold of his arm and dragged him away from his father, hugging him tightly as to protect him. "Come on, I knew what I was doing." The King began to smile at is Queen who had crouched down to equal her height to Tahnir, holding him close and stroking his hair. "You're not going to let me near him all day now, are you?"

Sylvanas held onto her son like a lioness protecting her cub, showing that she was going to protect him from Athrodar too. "No. You can hold your son again when you learn to behave."

"I want to go again!" Tahnir cried, trying to fight out of his mother's arms who was adamant at holding him in her grip.

"See? I done nothing wrong." Athrodar smirked at his glaring Queen, sitting down on his throne and watching her continue to stroke his hair. "Okay, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been playing so dangerous with him." He looked over to his mother who was ignoring them, keeping her attention on Alleria whilst she slept in her arms.

Sylvanas continued to fight with Tahnir who was trying his best to break free, wrapping her arms around him and blowing raspberries into his belly when she pinned him to the floor, grinning when he was now giggling at her. "See? You don't have to play dangerous games with our kids to make them laugh." Athrodar watched as his Queen continued to make their son laugh, feeling his heart begin to melt at how happy Sylvanas looked around her children, knowing that, despite everything they have been through, the best place for her was with her family. "What are you staring at?" She asked when her gaze fell upon him, noticing he was just staring at her with a smile.

"Nothing." Athrodar continued to smile at his Queen who tilted her head to the side to try and read his thoughts with a confused look on her face. "Okay, I'll tell you what I'm thinking." Tapping his hand on her throne, Athrodar watched Sylvanas pick up their son and walk to her throne before sitting down on it, keeping her focus entirely on the King. "I was just thinking about how happy you are when we're home. You enjoy being out there in the world, I can see that and so can everyone else. But when we are with our family?" Athrodar just smiled at her, placing his hand over hers. "Happy doesn't even begin to describe it."

Before Sylvanas could respond, Athrodar continued his train of thought. "In front of the public, in front of our enemies, you show just how strong you are as a leader and how defensive you are with our family. But when we're alone, you care and love them more than I have seen anyone love their family." He picked up her hand and kissed the back of it, watching her smile at him with so much love that she didn't need to say how she felt. "I was staring at you because I realised how badly you need this life. We're happy out there, fighting and exploring the world together, but you are a thousand times happier when you're home."

This time Sylvanas tried to respond but found she couldn't, opening and closing her mouth to speak but never finding the words. Time and time again this happened, ending with her placing her lips on her son's head to kiss him as he sat patiently on her lap, looking down the long corridor that led to the Throne Room they all sat in. What eventually made her speak however was when Athrodar placed a hand on the back of her head and pulled her close so he could kiss the top of her head this time, smiling and letting out a small laugh when she began to get worked up at the simple action. "Say more good things about me." She whispered, resting her head on his shoulder.

"You're beautiful, the most stunning woman I have ever had the opportunity to lay my eyes on. Even after giving birth to our children, you somehow have not only kept your figure, but you have become more beautiful than I could have ever imagined." Athrodar began to stroke her hair, planting a couple more kisses on the top of her head as he continued to compliment his Queen. "Despite the odds being massively against us, you have led the Horde into a peace treaty with the Alliance, even getting some of them to talk and trade with each other. This city is a testament to that as we are building something that hasn't been done before. A Capital City for the world that will allow all races to be a part of it without descrimination." He tilted Sylvanas' head up so she was looking at him. "All of this was because of you."

"And you." Sylvanas whispered before kissing him lightly. "This was your plan after all."

Athrodar shook his head. "It may have been my plan to build the Park into what it is now and to remake Old Town into what it is now, but I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you." Athrodar stood up and picked Tahnir up shortly after, placing him down on his throne so he could get down on his knees in front of his Queen, taking hold of both her hands. "This is going to get really sappy, fluffy and will probably want to make you throw up, but I need you to hear this."

Sylvanas nodded her head, brushing her thumbs over each of his fingers quickly to try and keep them both calm. "Okay, I think I'm ready to throw up."

Athrodar laughed lightly, looking up at his Queen and taking a deep breath. "As I was saying, I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you. You are just... A one in a billion woman to me. The first few months after Icecrown fell I was in a dark place. Yes I was with you in Tirisfal Glades and we had fun, but my heart was cold and my vision was practically black. Anything that I was allowed to kill, I would kill and I revelled in it." He began to smile which made Sylvanas frown. "This part will sound odd, but you were the one light in my life that was fighting the darkness and getting brighter with every passing day."

Sylvanas laughed lightly, placing one of her hands on his cheek. "That does sound odd, considering we were both Forsaken and the light wanted nothing to do with us."

"Exactly, which is what opened my eyes to you. Despite being the Banshee Queen, building and maintaining the reputation as the most feared woman in the Eastern Kingdoms, even the term monster was used by those who feared us, you were all I could see." Athrodar kissed her hand that remained on top of his. "I never told you this and I probably should have years ago, but the day you accidently told me you loved me, I knew I had two options. Cut all ties and run, plunging myself back into that darkness, or stay with the one being who was clearing my vision. I almost, on several occasions, took option A." He smiled at the lone tear that rolled down his Queen's cheek, lowering his voice so it was soft for the next part. "I knew I chose the right option however the moment I knocked on the door to your chambers and saw you drop your sword when you were surprised to see me."

By now, Tahnir had gotten bored of sitting beside his parents and was taken away by Illana who was overhearing everything her son was saying, feeling this was an alone time moment and taking hold of her grandson's hand, leading him away from the Throne Room. "Athrodar I..." Sylvanas muttered, not realising they were alone.

The King began to get choked up, having an inner war with his own emotions as he studied his Queen's face, seeing she too was going through the same motions he was. "From that day, I have lived with this constant light in my life guiding me towards where we are today." He interrupted himself as he tried to remain calm, taking a deep breath to steady his voice and shifting back when Sylvanas got down onto her knees too, both kneeling in front of each other. "The day we got married, I knew I was going to spend many, many happy centuries with you. Sure the whole ceremony was dull and meaningless, but we didn't want to draw any attention to it, we just wanted to be together."

Sylvanas took both his hands in hers, looking down at the pile of hands now in the middle of the two of them and stroking the ring on his finger. "Why are you telling me this?" She asked. Her voice was small as a lump formed in her throat, trying to keep her voice steady by lowering her volume.

Athrodar smiled, looking down at their hands too as Sylvanas continued to rub her thumb over his ring, glancing back up to her and noticing she was focusing on the ring, making his smile grow wider as something that played on his mind since the day she woke up began to take over his mind again. "Because I love you and I have something important to ask you."

Sylvanas now looked up at him, tilting her head a little when his smile stayed on his face. "What is it?"

"Marry me." Athrodar said, getting the reaction he expected which was a frown more than a surprised look. "I know we're already married, but that was in undeath. I want us to be married in life, renew our vows if we have to but I want us to get married again."

"I... Are you sure?" Sylvanas now asked, looking into his eyes and seeing the certainty in them without even needing his answer, slowly smiling at him. "Okay. We've not even been married for a decade and already you want to renew our vows." She let go of his hands so she could hug him instead, kissing his cheek and holding onto him tightly. "Let's get married, again. Only this time, we will celebrate it properly. A big party, many guests and I will wear an actual dress this time instead of my Banshee Queen uniform. Just because I know you secretly wanted me to wear one on our special day." She pulled back just enough to look at him through teary eyes, only to fasten her lips on to his in a long kiss.

A kiss that was only broken when the Queen had to wipe her eyes, already falling in love with the idea of being married for a second time to the elf that means more to her than the entire Kingdom they rule. "After watching you in that coma for a month and a half, I knew I had to ask you to marry me again when you woke up. I don't want anyone to find an excuse to say we're not married." Athrodar gave her a long kiss this time, breaking away so he could finish his sentence. "Now if we are married in both life and death, nobody can stand in our way and say it's not a true marriage."

Sylvanas just hugged her King tightly, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her head in the same neck, quietly humming a song to him that she knew he loved hearing her sing to their children to get them to sleep. "When do you want the big day?" She asked, interrupting her own humming.

"Once we're retired and living in Windrunner Village. We'll have all the time in the world to plan everything then." Athrodar closed his eyes and listened to his Queen quietly sing to him in an angelic voice, the pair of them holding onto each other in the Throne Room that was now closed off by the guards for the day, not getting up off the floor as they remained on their knees in front of their thrones. "When do we tell Victoria?"

"Soon." Sylvanas told him, keeping her eyes closed the moment they embraced each other. "When we next see her."

* * *

Victoria took a deep breath, picking up her bow and slinging it over her shoulder. "I think I'm ready." She told Snow who was laying beside her. "Don't run from me once we're inside that hive, okay? I need you to protect my back out there and I will protect yours." She heard Snow roar in agreement, smiling a little and petting the top of his head as he stood up on all four paws. "Good boy. Let's meet the rest of our company."

Victoria left the command tent with Snow following closely behind, looking at her entire company and the Ranger Recruits as well as the Shado-Pan, all three groups seemingly waiting for her to appear before they start the assault. "Better late than never." Sera whispered, standing beside the Princess who made her way to the front of her company. "Was starting to think you had cut and run."

"If I wasn't so damned important, I might have." Victoria joked, hearing Sera chuckle as Cyndia walked to the front with them. "When you're ready, Cyndia. This is your assault to lead."

Cyndia bowed her head to the Princess. "Thank you, my Lady." She began to pace back and forth in front of all three groups, unsheathing her sword and pointing towards the main hive in the distance. "There is our target. The one thing we have been fighting to take from the Mantid and the one thing that will win us this war against those insectoids."

"We don't know what we will face in there." Cyndia added, climbing onto her horse and looking down at the rangers and Pandaren in front of her. "Listen to your leaders, remember your training and protect each other's backs. They have the element of surprise, but we have the more experienced fighters." She pulled on the reins of her mount to turn it around so she was facing the main hive. "Fight hard and live to tell your side of this battle!" She cried, pointing her sword towards the hive. "Your Queen watches over you, make her proud!"

Sera stood by Victoria as cheers were sound through their army followed by all of them charging towards the hive. "Are you ready for this, my Lady?" She asked, looking down at the Princess.

Victoria smiled and looked up at Sera whilst her rangers followed Cyndia and the Shado-Pan towards the main hive. "I am." She looked towards the hive, taking another deep breath. "Stay by my side, Sera. I need to know you are going to be safe."

The Night Elf smiled, placing her hand under Victoria's chin and turning her head so she was looking back up at her, leaning down and placing a gentle kiss on her lips. "I will stay with you, my Lady. We will make it through this and then we can celebrate our victory."

Victoria chuckled, kissing her again before patting Snow. "I look forward to it." She said, climbing onto her Nightsabers back and riding towards the rest of the army as they ran towards the main hive, Sera climbing onto her blue Shado-Pan Tiger that was gifted to her after she saved the stable keep from a Mantid attack and chasing after the Princess.

* * *

**A/N:**** Okay so this is one of the last chapters for a while that will be fluffy or close to fluffy, there will be one or two more but then I will be focussing more on the progression through Pandaria with Victoria in the Dread Wastes and then Athrodar Sylvanas in Kun-Lai Summit when they get there in a few chapters time. So if you like these types of chapters more, enjoy them whilst you can because it will be more fighting based than fluff based very soon!**

**That being said, yes I am having Athrodar Sylvanas renew their vows because it's like the King said, they were married in undeath, so why not marry again in life? Plus it gives me an opportunity to write it in much further down the storyline instead of summing it up by saying it was a small get together with close family, nothing more or less.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Heart of Fear**

"Victoria! Move your rangers forward, Taran Zhu and the Shado-Pan are holding our flank!" Cyndia watched the Princess nod and gather her company as they all stood outside the main hive, looking over to Taran Zhu who was moving his Pandaren in place to hold the flank. "What is the place?"

"The Heart of Fear." The Pandaren told Cyndia. "I would not be surprised if we have to face the Sha of Fear in here. This place gets its name because it is legend in our culture. The Mantid are feared by our people for their countless attacks on our villages." Once he was certain the Shado-Pan were in place, he made his way over to Cyndia who was watching Victoria push forward. "This is the one place you don't want to be if you are afraid of dying."

Cyndia looked down at her recruits who were either sitting or crouching down, waiting for their orders to move out. "Many of us have had worse enemies than this. We are trained to lay down our lives for our country."

"But this is not your country." Taran Zhu told her.

"No, but our Queen wants your Pandaren to live amongst us. She is building something this world has never seen, a united Azeroth." Cyndia smiled a little when she thought about her words. "I have never been more proud than I have these last few years serving under Sylvanas. We never trusted Athrodar when he first came along, but we can now see how much of an impact he's had on our Queen." She looked over to the Pandaren who was listening to her short story. "He has changed our lives for the better, given us a new lease of life."

Taran Zhu nodded his head slowly, noticing the sparkle in Cyndia's eyes and realising she practically worshipped her Queen. "Use the love you have for your Queen." He said, making her look over to. "You and a lot of your rangers here I can see love her. Maybe not like her Kings loves her or how she loves him, but you would do anything she would ask because she has taken you this far, no?"

Cyndia smiled and nodded at the Pandaren. "Yes."

"Then use it. Make that love you and your rangers have for your Queen into a weapon against the Mantid, drive them from these lands with us and with the Princess." Taran Zhu looked back to his Shado-Pan who were holding off the Mantid attacking from the rear. "The first chamber is just around the corner. I expect it to be a tough fight, but it will give us an idea of what we will face."

Cyndia looked down at her recruits, ordering them to stand to attention. "Listen up!" She yelled, glancing back and giving Taran Zhu a nod of thanks before watching him return to his Pandaren. "We are joining the Princess and her company in the front lines whilst the Shado-Pan protect our rear. The first major battle will be coming up soon so get ready." She unsheathed her sword and held it tightly in her hand, unslinging her bow and using it as a second weapon. "Remember your training, fight hard and remember. Our Queen wants to give the Pandaren a good impression of what we can do. It's up to us now to show them that we are worthy allies."

Whilst Cyndia and her recruits were moving further into the hive, Victoria and her company were already engaged in combat with the Mantid. Bending backwards, the Princess managed to dodge to scythe like arms coming for her, watching Sera's sword plunge itself into the insectoid, standing up straight and plunging her own sword into the Mantid. "Thanks." The Princess whispered as they both pulled their swords out of the insectoid, watching Snow pounce at two mantids taking off nearby, dragging them back down to the ground and ripping off their wings before sinking his fangs into their necks.

Victoria flicked her sword to try and force some of the mantid blood off it, watching a volley arrows whistle passed her and hit some of the reinforcements coming their way, glancing back to Cyndia who sent her recruits forward. "I take it the Shado-Pan are protecting our rear?" She asked, watching the Captain nod. "Good."

"Taran Zhu said our first obstical is just around that corner." Cynadia told the Princess, pointing to where some of the Mantid were retreating to. "We can secure that entrance once we get in there, the Shado-Pan can leave less troops at the back and send more to the front. It's a small entrance so the Mantid can't get more than a few soldiers through at a time. Perfect to set up a trap." Cyndia nocked and drew an arrow back in her bow, letting it loose and watching her arrow fly into the chest of one of the retreating insectoids. "Let's move out, Princess. We need to take that first room."

Sera nodded once Victoria looked over to her. "Already on it, my Lady." She gathered a few of their troops and pushed through the weakest point in the Mantid lines, continuing to push further into the hive before doubling back and hitting the few Mantid keeping their rangers at bay in the back with a volley of arrows, freeing up the Princess and Cyndia as well as their companies. "Let's go."

Victoria placed a hand on her Captain's arm. "Good job." She turned her head towards Cyndia who was ordering her recruits forward. "We're going to try and secure a foothold in the next room. Tell Taran Zhu and his Shado-Pan they can move up."

"On it!" Cyndia yelled to Victoria, quickly running back to the Shado-Pan and informing Taran Zhu that he could move further in.

"And here I thought she was the leader." Sera muttered, smirking at Victoria who rolled her eyes and shrugged her shoulders.

"I can't help it. I got a taste of it and now I want to lead." Victoria began to chuckle at Sera's raised eyebrow. "I'm sure she'll let me take lead again soon."

"I'm sure she will." Sera muttered, following the Princess into the next room.

* * *

"So tell me again, why not?"

"Because we have a Kingdom to run, four kids to look after if you count Tanadia, a whole new continent to persuade into joining us." Sylvanas sighed, dropped her hands into the tub she was sitting in. "I don't see where we have the time."

Athrodar watched his Queen being bathed by their servants, smiling and shaking his head at the back of her head. "I still think we should get a pet. Not like Victoria and Snow, but maybe just a normal sized cat, or a dog."

Sylvanas rolled her eyes and looked at the servant cleaning her right leg, shaking her head at her whilst she just smiled at the Queen. "And where would we put a cat or dog in this Keep, hmm? It's so big, we would probably lose whatever pet we have."

Athrodar pushed himself off the door frame he was leaning on and slowly began to walk towards his Queen, smiling at the four servants washing Sylvanas before taking a sponge off one of them, watching them leave him alone with her. "And what about when we're back home?" He whispered, dipping the sponge into the tub before placing it on her chest and squeezing the water out of it. "Is it possible to get a pet then?" He whispered in her ear.

"Why the sudden need for a pet?" Sylvanas whispered, glancing over her shoulder and noticing they were both alone with Athrodar on his knees behind her. "Aren't I enough fun for you?"

Athrodar chuckled, kissing the back of her neck and travelling the sponge down into the water and washing her stomach slowly. "More than enough fun. But I was thinking about our children, a pet they can have when Victoria isn't around with Snow."

"Then in that case, why don't we wait until they're a little older?" Sylvanas looked down at the sponge in his hand that was slowly moving around in circles on her stomach. "I know you wanted us to be alone for this conversation, but could you at least put effort into cleaning me?"

Athrodar grinned and moved the sponge further down until it was between her legs, kissing the lobe of her ear before whispering into it. "Is this better?"

Sylvanas bit her bottom lip, moving a hand up to his cheek and holding his head against hers. "N-no." She stammered, arching her back a little and sitting up in the tub when Athrodar began to rub the sponge against her maidenhood. "Girls!" She yelled just before her King got too carried away, hearing her servants come back into the room and take over from her King.

Athrodar handed over the sponge and stood up, only to lean back down and kiss his Queen hard on the lips, parting them with his tongue as it began to explore her mouth. When Sylvanas moaned at the prolonged kiss, he began to pull away and smiled wickedly at her when there was a loud smack as their lips parted. "I'll be on the balcony until you're finished."

Sylvanas watched her love leave the room, her heart beating twice its normal speed after that kiss and hating that he had planted a lust filled seed into her brain. "I hate it when he does that..." She muttered, looking back at her servants who were all looking at her.

"Damn it!" She hissed, feeling jolts of lust course through her every time one of her servants moved their hands across her body. "I need you all to stop cleaning me. He has made me too sensitive."

All four servant women smiled brightly at their Queen as this meant only one thing. "How many times, my Lady?" One of them asked, removing the sponge from the tub and placing her hand on the Queen's stomach instead.

"Twice." Sylvanas told them, gasping quietly the second they all began to worship her body. "Three if you're quick enough." She pushed out before having one of them kiss her hard on the lips.

Athrodar stood on the balcony overlooking Stormwind for close to ten minutes, grinning whenever he heard Sylvanas cum and scream is name as she thought about him the whole time, glancing back to the bedroom when he heard the four servants leave the room.

As he made his way back to Sylvanas, he saw her climbing out of the tub and quickly picking up a robe and walking over to her to cover her with, wrapping it around her body and kissing her lightly as she looked at him with heavy eyes. "Enjoy yourself?" He asked.

"Only because you forced me to." She said, pouting at him. "It's not the same without you and you know it."

"I know." He whispered, kissing his dripping wet Queen again and pressing his hea against hers. "You need to dry yourself."

"Thanks. For a second there, I was planning to stay soaking wet for the rest of the day."

Athrodar chuckled and hugged her, not caring that she was getting his uniform wet and inhaling the smell of apples in her hair. "What are we doing today?"

"We're spending time with our kids." Sylvanas whispered, closing her eyes as she melted into the hug. "The council know why we're back and have happily agreed to run the city even though we're home. But have also been told to come to us if there's an issue they can't solve."

"Time to see how good our council really is." Athrodar told her, pulling back and brushing some of her wet hair away from her eyes. "Get dry and get dressed, I'll be with our family having breakfast, okay?"

"Okay." Sylvanas kissed him before making her way to their bedroom. "I'm dressing casually today, no armour or weapons, just your shirt and my leggings."

Athrodar chuckled and followed her into the room. "Why do you have clothes of your own if you're going to keep wearing mine?"

"Because you love me and you don't mind if I do take one of your shirts." Taking out a black linen shirt, Sylvanas took off her robe once she had dried her body and placed the shirt on herself. "I thought you were waking up our children?"

"I am." He said, watching his Queen stand there with nothing but his shirt on and fighting the urge to claim her there and then. What put the nail in the coffin however was when he heard his mother singing to herself as she made her way passed their room. "Okay, I'm going now."

Sylvanas chuckled when he left their room, shaking her head and biting her bottom lip as she replayed the hungry look on his face over and over again. "We are going to have so much fun when we retire." She whispered to herself, picking a pair of leggings from her wardrobe and slipping them on shortly after, walking through Stormwind Keep barefoot as she made her way to the great hall where the rest of her family were eating.

"At home for two days and already you're comfortable being back." Athrodar commented, looking down at her feet. "Didn't even try to put something on them, did you?"

Sylvanas grinned and stole a few rashes of bacon from her King's plate, kissing him on the cheek before sitting down and grabbing a plate of her own. "I don't plan to leave the Keep today, so no. I didn't even try to put anything on my feet." She looked over to the other side of the table and smiled at her son who was giggling at Athrodar, glancing to her King who was pulling faces at Tahnir. "Are you distracting our son from his breakfast?"

"Sorry..." Athrodar muttered, looking at Tahnir and pushing out his bottom lip to feign sadness, watching his son do the same thing and fold his arms when Athrodar did.

Watching Tahnir continue to copy his father, Sylvanas rolled her eyes and looking over to Illana who was smiling the whole time she was watching them. "Where's my little girl? I want to hold her."

"I sent one of your servants to collect her, she should be back -" Illana was interrupted when Scarlette, Sylvanas' favourite servant, returned with Alleria in her arms, gently warming her up with a blanket and the use of holy magic from her hand. "Here she is."

"My Lady." Scarlette said, smiling at both the King and Queen before handing Alleria over, bowing her head once the baby was out of her grasp. "Is there anything else?"

"No, thank you." Sylvanas smiled at her and watched her walk away. In fact, both Athrodar and Sylvanas watched her walk away and Scarlette knew it, deciding to sway her hips seductively as she left the great hall. "That tease..." The Queen muttered, making Athrodar let out a small laugh in the back of his throat as he agreed.

Once Scarlette was out of sight, Athrodar looked back at his Queen who had a hint of lust in her eyes already, raising an eyebrow at her and leaning close so he could whisper in her ear. "Didn't she and the other three already take care of you earlier?"

Sylvanas bit her bottom lip and nodded, looking off in the direction her servant had walked towards. "And yet, she knows how to get a woman worked up." Her gaze turned to Athrodar who had both eyebrows raised at her now. "Oh, don't look at me like that. You're the one who put me in this mood in the first place." She looked down at her daughter in her arms, realising she already looked a lot older than when she last saw her. "She is already growing up faster than I can keep up with. She's closing in on six months and I have hardly been here for half of that."

Athrodar saw his Queen's face become sad, placing a hand on her knee and squeezing it lightly. "You'll be in her life all the time soon. Once we've finished in Pandaria, remember?"

Sylvanas smiled a little, not taking her gaze off her daughter and nodding her head profusely. "I know. We just need to get Pandaria over and done with so we can retire."

Illana choked on her water, catching the attention of both her son and daughter-in-law. "I'm sorry, did you say retire?"

"Ah.. crap." Athrodar looked over to his Queen who looked back at him, watching her nod her head. "Okay... So maybe we are planning to retire from the soldier life when our campaign in Pandaria is over." Athrodar looked over to his mother who looked at them with wide eyes. "We are giving the mantle of Warchief over to Vol'jin or Baine and the leadership of this city to the council until Tahnir comes of age."

Illana just stared at her son, trying to piece together what he said. "So, you're going to hand this city over to people who will what, willingly hand it over to your son when he turns sixteen? Someone who has no experience in leading people, a city or even how to fight? He would have, if you put him through it, just graduated from the Farstrider Academy. How do you know they won't corrupt him and whisper lies in his ear so they could lead from the shadows?"

Now it was Athrodar's turn to stare at his mother wide eyed. "Where did this come from? Mother, we are returning home to Quel'Thalas to spend time with our family. Sylvanas wants this and so do I. We're tired of fighting and we just want to live our lives in peace with those we love." He shook his head when Illana's gaze fell from him. "Do you not want that for us?"

"Why isn't Victoria taking over? She is out there right now leading people whilst your son, your beautiful, innocent son is sat here with no clue in the world what you two are asking him to do." Illana shook her head, finding it difficult to look at the King and Queen in front of her. "This is exactly what your Great Grandfather did, looking out for his family by building a great legacy, led by the first born of his family and not caring what that could mean in the long run." She stood up from her chair, barely touching her food and taking two steps away from the table. "I'm going to my room. Don't talk to me until I'm ready to see you again."

Sylvanas just sat there quietly, shocked at what had just happened and looking over to her King slowly. "Wow... I uh..."

Athrodar stood up from his chair and began to follow his mother out the room, catching up to her and spinning her around, seeing the tears streaming from her eyes already and pulling her in for a hug. "I'm sorry... I didn't think." He kissed her on the cheek and felt her wrap her arms around him as she began to cry into his shoulder. "We asked Victoria first, mom. She didn't want the throne, she wants to come home with her family. Believe me I didn't want to be like my Great Grandfather, but this thing is only in the planning stages. We aren't forcing anything on our children, if they don't want it they don't have to take up the mantle of King or Queen of Stormwind." He stroked his mother's hair as she continued to cry into his shoulder, shushing her and planting a kiss or two on her cheek again. "If none of them want the throne, then we leave it in the hands of the council. Or we return and take it back, we've not yet decided yet."

Illana held onto her son tightly, no longer crying after calming herself down but she still had a few tears in her eyes. "I don't want history to repeat itself. You're my baby boy and I want what is best for you, but after hearing what you said in there, I was worried you were walking down the same path that destroyed this family."

Athrodar pulled back slowly and wiped the tears from his mother's face, smiling warmly at her. "I will always come to you with questions that involve this family, Sylvanas too. We know what happened to this family and neither of us want it to happen again. I should have worded what we were doing better and for that, I am sorry." He kissed her cheek again, giving his mother another hug when he knew she needed it. "Are you coming back or are you no longer hungry?"

"I'm coming back." She whispered to him, stroking her son's hair. "Just give me a few minutes to calm myself down some more."

Athrodar let go of Illana and smiled at her once more. "Take your time." He told her before returning to the room the rest of his family were sat in.

* * *

Victoria looked down from the balcony overlooking the room they were all stood in, noticing what looked like a council of Mantid on the furthest side of the room to them. "Heads up, we may have our first real fight." She told Sera and her Squad Leaders, pointing towards the council. "They will know we are here before we can get the drop on them, so prepare for a fight once we get down there."

Cyndia made her way next to the Princess, looking towards the council too. "How do you want to play this? Attack it from either side and hope to split them up?"

Victoria nodded at her. "Sounds like a plan to me." She glanced back to Sera who smirked at her, shaking her head slowly when the Princess rolled her eyes. Her Captain knew she was trying her best so slide back into the leadership role without asking for it, fighting herself to stay as Cyndia's second because that's where she demoted herself to for this campaign. "When you're ready, give us the command and we will move left."

Cyndia looked back to her recruits that were all waiting for her command, nodding to her designated second in her company and nodding to the right, watching them lead the rest of the company to the right flank. "Okay, go." She told Victoria. "On my mark, we attack."

Victoria led her company to the left flank, crouching down and having Sera come to her side, resting her hand on Snow's head when he lowered himself on the other side. "We can take out a few of them before that big one notices." She told her Captain, watching her nod in agreement. "I don't know how we are going to take him out though, his armour looks too thick for arrows."

"There's always a weakness, my Lady." Sera informed her. "Normally where the joints are, under the arms or the neck."

Victoria unslung her bow and nocked an arrow in place, not drawing it back yet as she inspected the giant Mantid in the middle of the council. _One of their leaders_ she thought, stroking the fletching on the end of her arrow and narrowing her eyes when she believed she saw a weakness. "His neck, just like you said." She whispered to Sera, drawing her arrow back slowly and taking aim at the weak point. "I think I can hit him from here."

Sera glanced over to the Princess, placing her hand on her bow arm and lowering it slowly. "You'll miss, my Lady. Not even I can make that shot and I am a better aim, no offence." She saw Victoria smile a little, smiling too when she removed the arrow from her bow. "Just focus on taking out the lesser Mantid first. We will deal with that big one when we get around to it."

Watching out for Cyndia who quickly gave the signal to attack the moment her recruits were in position, Victoria ordered her rangers to let loose their arrows towards the big Mantid in the middle of the council, taking out several of the lesser Mantid but failing to stick a single arrow in his near impregnable armour. "Damn it... Focus on the lesser Mantid!" She now ordered them, learning from her mistake and from Sera's wisdom, having Snow follow her orders perfectly and taking out the first two Mantid coming their way, watching a volley take out three more that turned to charge them. "Tell me when you're in range to make that shot." She told Sera who nodded and began to peel away to find the perfect spot.

"Fools!" The big Mantid yelled, beating his wings and lifting himself up from the ground and flying towards two pusling sacks before swiping his scythe like claws across them, making a yellow gas bellow out from them and fall to the floor, quickly engulfing everyone's feet in a thick yellow fog and rising up their legs quickly.

Victoria watched on in horror, noticing everyone in the middle of the room was quickly being enveloped by the smoke and pointing towards the platforms around the outside that had yet to be touched by the smoke. "Everyone get to the sides!" She yelled, watching Snow retreat quickly but rapidly slowing down to a crawl as he just made it to her side, listening to her Nightsaber cough and knowing that stuff was toxic, looking back into the middle of the room and picking out several lifeless bodies laying down as they were too slow to make it out of the cloud.

Whilst everyone was fighting to get their breaths back, Sera had managed to climb to a balcony unseen and pulling out her bow, nocking an arrow in place and trying to follow the Mantid Officer around the room, hoping to understand his flight patterns and judging her shot before even taking it. "I am Imperial Vizier Zor'lok! Remember this name as it will be the name that haunts you the rest of your lives!" He began to laugh, hovering in the middle of the room and looking down at Victoria who was checking on Snow, sticking out as an important figure compared to everyone else due to the white nightsaber by her side. "If you survive, that is."

Whilst he was hovering in place, Sera drew her arrow back, closing one eye and exhaling slowly, letting loose the arrow and watching it cut through the air with ease, puncturing the neck of Zor'lok and watching the Mantid fall to the floor almost instantly, smiling as her aim remained true after all these years and watching him struggle to take the small projectile out of his neck, snapping the shaft but keeping the arrow head lodged in his neck. "Drown in your own blood, insect." She said, slinging her bow over her shoulder and making her way back to Victoria.

The Princess watched Imperial Vizier Zor'lok struggle against the smoke that now enveloped him, choking on both the toxic cloud and the blood that filled his lungs, falling limp in the middle of the room and ending the first fight of many they were sure to face. "Princess, are you okay!?" Cyndia asked, yelling from the other side of the room.

"I am!" She yelled back, petting Snow who was breathing steadily now compared to his ragged breath a few moments ago, glancing over to Cyndia and noticing the smoke had stopped flowing from the two sacks that were cut open, watching the toxic smoke quickly disappear followed by the Captain and her recruits meeting up with her. "It's going to get tougher from here on out." She told the Captain who nodded her head in agreement.

"Perfect to blood these recruits." Cyndia said, looking back at her company. "All of those who make it through this will be made full time Rangers." Her attention returned to Victoria who was still checking on Snow. "The Princess will make sure of it, right?"

"Anyone who makes it through this will join my Company." Victoria looked up at Cyndia who began to smile at her. "I will need a Captain to lead them, one reporting in to Sera who will report in to me."

Cyndia bowed her head. "Sounds like a good plan, my Lady."


	8. Chapter 8

**An Old Friend**

Sitting on his throne in Stormwind, Athrodar was waiting patiently for Sylvanas who was fighting with herself to get out of bed after spending over ten hours in it, shaking his head and laughing lightly when he remembered who else was in the bed. Raven and Scarlette, Sylvanas' two favourite servants, had missed their Queen for the two plus months they were away and had yet to leave her alone for longer than a day, not that she was complaining.

Before he could stand up from his throne to check on her, Athrodar was interrupted by someone he had not seen for years, taking a step back when it took him by surprise and slowly smiling at the surprise guest. "Tirion. What.. what are you doing here?"

"We may be a small group of fighters, but the Argent Dawn has heard a lot of talk about you and your Queen over the years." The old Paladin began to smile at Athrodar walking towards him and embracing his former brother in arms. "The last time I saw you, you were leaving Dalaran just before celebrations began. Now you're alive, a King and have a family. If you told me there and then that you would marry, ressurect and get Sylvanas pregnant with your children, I would have laughed there and then, binding your hands and putting you in the Violet Hold as a mad man." Tirion pulled back and looked at the King, patting him on the arm. "I would have be wrong in that matter."

"And probably dead." Athrodar joked, placing a firm hand on the Paladin's shoulder. "Sylvanas would have done everything to break me free from that prison, again."

"I seem to remember you breaking free from that place due to the Blue Dragonflight." Tirion saw Athrodar begin to smirk, feeling like he was missing something. "Unless I am wrong?"

"Did you really think Sylvanas missed her mark? Hitting me on the shoulder was to knock me off balance and over the side of Dalaran." Athrodar's smirk changed to a warm smile, looking down at the ring on his finger. "If anyone understood what she done, she would have been made an example of, imprisoned or killed, I don't know. She betrayed you all to set me free, which may have won us the war."

Tirion smiled at the story, chuckling lightly when he began to think about it. "You two don't do things by the book do you? I heard how you got Velen to bring you and your rangers back to life. Most people would have stuck to the deal, but you two sprung a surprise on Varian and the rest of the Alliance, ceasing Stormwind for yourself." The Highlord looked around the Throne Room, noticing they were both alone, minus the Royal Rangers that were on guard around the outside of the room. "So where is she? I have yet to formally meet her and thank her for helping cleanse the Plaguelands." Tirion let out a small laugh. "I suppose I should thank the two of you and not just her."

Athrodar waved away the praise he was getting from the Highlord. "It's nothing. We were protecting our borders and when we heard about what happened to the Scarlet Crusade, we acted on cleansing Tyr's Hand of their presence." He looked back to the door leading to their private quarters, seeing it was still closed and had no sign of Sylvanas coming through it. "So other than coming here to stroke my ego, what brings you this far south?"

"Your daughter, actually. I have kept in contact with Liadrin since the war in Northrend had come to an end and she has informed me of Tanadia and her quick progress as a priest. I wanted to see for myself how quickly she had been learning how to wield the light." Tirion saw Athrodar's slight disappointment that he had not come to see him, patting him on the arm. "I won't turn you away if you want to accompany me. She is the Princess of Stormwind after all. And with the right training, that I'm sure she is getting from Liadrin, she could become an important figure for those who worship the Light."

"Walk with me." Athrodar said, gesturing down the long corridor he saw the Highlord walk through a few moments ago.

When they reached the Cathedral, Tirion looked up at the great structure and smiled the type of smile Athrodar hadn't seen on his face before. A smile of nostalgia as he looked up at the leading building of his faith. "It's been a long time since I saw this place."

"She's just inside. You may have to fight of Liadrin for her as she insists on being the only teacher for my daughter." Athrodar heard Tirion chuckle, following him inside the Cathedral once he began to climb up the steps.

"I think that came across in the letters she has sent me over the years." Tirion told him honestly. "Something about your daughter being her protégé, plus how she went on about her more in those letters than she did an actual topic." The Highlord began to laugh. "I hope all the talk is accurate."

"I believe it is." Athrodar said, walking into the Cathedral's main hall and keeping quiet as to not disturb the lesson Liadrin was teaching, sitting down on one of the many pews and watching his daughter keep her entire focus on the Paladin, not noticing his presence or Tirions. "From what she has told me, Tanadia tries to shadow Liadrin when she's teaching, already practicing the spells before she has even finished speaking and taught them the first couple of steps."

"A trait of yours, I presume?" Tirion asked, both of them keeping their voices low to not disturb the lesson or to make themselves known until it was over.

Athrodar chuckled quietly, shaking his head and keeping his focus on his daughter. "I'm afraid not. She gets that from her mother. The quick learning and drive to progress quicker than her peers is from both of us, but the one thing she gets from me, or so I'm told, is her charm and courage. Her mother was always so shy when it came to new people or showing off her abilities to those outside her family."

"The way you commanded all those healers to keep her alive during the assault on Icecrown showed me that you didn't care what people thought of you." Tirion told him, grinning when Athrodar looked over to him. "Ordering them about like they were morons was amusing to watch."

"I didn't exactly have a soft spot for the living back then." Athrodar admitted, watching Liadrin make her way over to them after informing her students to practice their new spell. "Heads up."

"Highlord." Liadrin said, bowing her head to Tirion before looking Athrodar up and down. "Shouldn't you be keeping your Queen company whilst she recovers?"

Athrodar smirked at the Paladin. "You know she doesn't listen to your advice right? Even if you have told her a thousand times she needs to rest, she has stayed as active as ever."

"That's your fault, that is." Liadrin told him, glaring at her King who continued to smirk at her. "I'm not going to help her if she needs my healing in the near future." She told him, a lie by any means and she knew it, but she had to get her point across.

"Perhaps I could take a look at her." Tirion suggested, looking back to Athrodar who waved away his proposal.

"She's fine. She is resting as we speak, hasn't got out of bed yet as she insists today is her lazy day, despite my telling her we have a city to run."

Liadrin rolled her eyes, looking back to Tirion who smiled warmly at the change of character from the Athrodar he worked with during the Northrend campaign. "So what brings you down here?" She asked the old Paladin.

"I have come to see the priestess you don't stop talking about." Tirion told her, looking over to Tanadia who was already showing signs of learning the new spell whilst her peers were struggling to get the light to meld into what they required. "Fascinating. She is as quick of a learner as you told me."

"Isn't she?" Liadrin said, smiling at the progress Tanadia was making in comparison. "When she first moved down here, she was happy, learning at the same rate as those her age during infant school. But the first month she was here," Liadrin looked over to Athrodar who was being told this for the first time, "when you entered her life and she had her father with her? On top of finding out he was a King? Suddenly she was working twice as hard as anyone else and the Light must have seen how special she could be, because suddenly she was showing traits of becoming incredible."

Athrodar smiled and looked over to his daughter who had now noticed them and began to smile brightly at her father, waving at him and Liadrin who also looked back to her. "Are you saying she has gotten better the moment I entered her life?" He asked, hearing Liadrin groan when she went against her better judgement, knowing he would react like this when she told him.

"Yes. Don't dwell on it, I'm sure it's normal for anyone to become better when around family." Liadrin looked back to Tirion who was too busy watching the Princess impressively learn the spell she was only told to learn a few moments ago. "Do you want to meet her?"

"I would." Tirion said.

"Come back to the Keep when you're done." Athrodar told him, shaking Tirion's hand before leaving the Cathedral.

* * *

Victoria looked over the fallen rangers dotted around the room she was standing in. "I know we were going to lose thirty percent of our fighters, but I never took into account how many that would be."

Sera covered the wound on her hip, waiting for the healers to make their rounds and looking down at the Princess who sat down beside Snow. "We've taken out four of their leaders." She told her, watching Taran Zhu and his Shado-pan join them once the reinforcements had been dealt with. "How many are left?" She asked the Pandaren.

"Two more." Taran Zhu told them, checking on his Shado-Pan who were resting with the Rangers. "The Grand Empress and her top General."

Victoria looked over to Cyndia who had been heavily injured in the last fight, being looked after by Pandaren healers along with the other critically injured rangers, standing up and making her way over to the Captain. "How are you feeling?" She asked her, sitting down on her knees and taking hold of her hand.

"Like I could take on the entire world, my Lady." Cyndia joked, laughing and then hissing when a sharp pain raced through her. "My recruits are under your control now, Princess. As well as the lead of this assault."

"I know, you just rest now. They will take you back to camp and then you will be shipped off to Stormwind to rest and recover." Victoria kissed her on the forehead. "You did me proud, sister. There will be a place in my company for you, my third in command Captain."

The stretcher Cyndia laying on was lifted up by the Pandaren healers, watching Victoria stand up and smiling at her Princess. "Thank you, my Lady. If I see them when I return to the Capital, I will tell your parents how much you've grown as a leader. They will be proud of you."

Sera made her way to Victoria's side, taking hold of her hand and kissing the top of her head when she rested it on her arm. "We are close to taking this hive, my Lady. Taran Zhu has just informed me that their reinforcements have died out, all of our strength will be in the attack now. The General should be easy he has also informed me, some Amber-Shaper by the name of Un'sok. He uses the amber in the hives to create constructs, so if we can deal with him before they become a threat, we will only have to focus on the Grand Empress."

"Good." Victoria muttered, squeezing her hand. "The recruits are exhausted, so as long as the next fight isn't tough and the final fight is their Grand Empress, I want to get it over with so they can return home and get some much needed rest."

Sera smiled and placed her hand under Victoria's cheek, turning her head so she was looking up at her and planting a kiss on her lips. "You are thinking like a leader, my Lady. Are you sure you don't want to be Queen when your parents retire?" She asked, watching Victoria's eyes widen. "What? You didn't actually think I didn't know, right? I have been around you three long enough to know when you're hiding something, and since they are fine with you taking over for them and you wanting to spend time with them, I just added two and two together."

Victoria looked away from her Captain and began to smile slowly. "Do you really think I should be Queen when they retire?"

"You would be an amazing Queen, my Lady." Sera told her, kissing her again. "Your parents done the easy part, going to war and taking the Eastern Kingdoms from the Alliance will be nothing compared to keeping the peace. Sylvanas is a great leader, but I don't see her keeping the peace in the long run. But you? Everyone loves you, my Lady. You can stop any talks about war by just meeting with them."

"Do you really believe that, Sera? I have no experience in leading outside of a fight."

Sera smiled at her. "I do believe that, my Lady. I have yet to see you get on someone's wrong side." She cupped her face in her hands, leaning down and giving her another kiss, only this one was long and made the Princess moan into her mouth before pulling away and gazing into her eyes. "You're young, beautiful and kind. Three traits that will make negotiations easy with anyone who wants to go against you."

"I told my parents that I want to spend the rest of my life with them in Windrunner Village, that I don't want to take up the crown of Stormwind." Victoria looked over to Snow who was licking his paw as well as tending to his own wounds. "What will they think if I just go back on that now? It could hurt them."

"It won't, my Lady." Sera told her, smiling at her innocence. "Your mother wants nothing more than to see you on the throne of Stormwind. The day you entered her life, her priorities changed from being the most powerful woman on the planet, to making sure you never have to face a war like she did against Arthas, or the one she won to unite Azeroth." She kept one hand on her cheek, taking hold of her hand with her other one and raising it to her lips. "If you tell them now, once we've finished here, that you do want to become Queen of Stormwind, they will be so happy to see their work has paid off."

"It almost sounds like you are guilting me into taking up the throne." Victoria muttered.

"Of course not, my Lady. You know they will be happy with you on it, but also happy if you decide you want to stay with them. They will love you no matter what you decide." Sera moved her hands to Victoria's shoulders, slowly moving them down her arms until the Princess moved forward and hugged her, hugging her back and stroking her hair. "Just make sure the decision you make is what you want."

"I will." Victoria whispered to her, holding onto her Captain tightly.

* * *

Sylvanas stirred in her bed, feeling a hand stroking her ear lightly and deliberately making it twitch, making Scarlette jump as the action was quick and sudden. When Sylvanas began to chuckle at her reaction, not needing to look at her to guess that she jumped as she felt the bed move a little, Scarlette began to stroke her ear again, smiling and shaking her head. "My Lady, do you plan to get out of bed at all today?"

Sylvanas just kept her eyes closed, finding that she was really enjoying the pampering of her long, elves ears by both Scarlette and Raven who was stroking the other one, smiling and melting into their touch. "Not at all. Especially if you keep this up."

Raven smiled at her Queen's increased rate of breathing, finding her reaction really interesting as she had never touched the ears of an elf and watching her Queen react like this had told her that they are very sensitive. "Enjoying this, my Lady?"

"Mmm... Definately." Sylvanas purred. "You may have just given me an idea I could give to Athrodar." She opened her eyes and looked up at both women sitting either side of her, moving a hand up to Raven's neck and pulling her down for a kiss, gasping when she pulled away and began to nibble on her ear. "Oh, you are going to be punished for that."

Athrodar was about to open the door to the their private quarters, stopping when he heard three sets of giggling and figuring his Queen was awake. Opening the door slowly and slipping in unnoticed, he saw his Queen and Scarlette focusing all their attention on Raven who was laying on her back, recieving a barrage of kisses and licks from both women. "Ahem." Athrodar said, clearing his throat to get their attention. "I thought this was a lazy day for you, that you didn't want to get out of bed?"

"My dear husband, returning to our bedroom and seeing not just one, but three naked women and the first thing he goes to is something I told him whilst I was half awake?" Sylvanas grinned and climbed out of the bed, slowly walking over to him and swaying her hips seductively and getting up onto her tiptoes to place a kiss on his lips. "So are you going to join us, or are you going to stand there and complain that I didn't stick to my word?"

Athrodar smirked at his Queen, moving his hands down to her thighs and lifting her up, feeling her wrap her legs around his waist and plant several kisses along his neck and on his face, walking over to the bed and placing his Queen back down on it, watching both servants crawl over to her and began to worship Sylvanas' body with their tongues. "I am definately joining you three." He eventually said, though his answer didn't need to be given now that he was taking off his tunic.

Close to an hour passed by until there was a knock at their door, the voice of Viraleth - who they believed was still on Pandaria - telling them that she has to speak to them. "It's to do with Pandaria." She told them when Sylvanas yelled at her, hearing someone climb out of bed and walk over to the door, preparing to see more than she wanted to see.

Luckily Athrodar had covered himself up when he answered the door, walking into the corridor and closing the door behind him. "What's happened?" He asked the Ranger-General who took a few steps back to avoid hearing Sylvanas continue her fun with the servants. "We still have a few more days until we return to Pandaria."

"I know and I apologise, but this is to do with Kun-Lai Summit." Viraleth looked a little disturbed and at the same time sad, the latter of which Athrodar picked up on and began to frown at her.

"What did you find?" He asked her quietly, seeing in her eyes she didn't want to tell him which then began to make him worry. "Viraleth, tell me."

"We found an active Sha. Not one of the lesser minion, but a fully grown, active Sha of Anger." Viraleth shook her head and looked at her King with apologetic eyes. "I'm sorry, I thought I shouldn't tell you, but you were going to find out soon."

Athrodar sighed, placing a hand on her shoulder and nodding his head slowly. "Okay. I guess I had to face this some time. Thank you."

"Again, I'm sorry." Viraleth said, watching her King walk back into his Royal Quarters.

Sylvanas watched Athrodar pick up his tunic and put it on, placing a hand on Raven's head and pushing her away slowly when her King picked up his cloak. "Where are you going? What did Viraleth want."

"The Sha of Anger is in Kun-Lai Summit." Athrodar told her, throwing his cloak around himself. "Inform everyone to move towards Kun-Lai Summit and set up a camp there, we will need everyone there if what Viraleth says is true."

Sylvanas looked up at Athrodar when she made her way over to him, placing a hand on his chest and stopping him from leaving the room. "Hold on. What is going on? What do you mean we have to go to Kun-Lai Summit now? Tahnir's birthday is in a couple days, we were going to stay until then and a few days after." She frowned at him. "What changed?"

"The place in my vision? Viraleth found it. It's in Kun-Lai Summit." Athrodar side stepped and moved to pick up his bow, slinging it over his shoulder and looking back to Sylvanas who was looking at him with sad eyes. "You told me my destiny is my own, that I will not die on this new land." He stepped towards her and cupped her face, kissing her lightly. "We are going to be fine, okay? Yes we won't be here for Tahnir's birthday, but we have presents for him and we will leave them for my mother to give them to him."

Sylvanas hugged her King and forgot that they weren't alone the second her arms went around him, taking deep breaths and trying to keep herself calm as she realised she would both miss her son's birthday as well as possibly leaving to Kun-Lai Summit and marching with her armies towards her King's death. "We are going to be fine." She whispered to him for reassurance, though it was mostly said for herself. "We will defeat the Sha and cleanse that land of its presence, showing the Pandaren that we can be trusted and then we will return home."

Athrodar pressed his head against hers, cupping her face in his hands and closing his the moment she did, stroking her cheek with his thumb and standing there in silence as they both ignored the world and focused entirely on their other half. "If taking out that Sha doesn't get them on our side, perhaps nothing will." He whispered to her, tilting his Queen's head up a little and planting a long kiss on her lips, feeling her hands run through his hair as she looked to deepen it.

Sylvanas looked into his eyes and saw he was serious, smiling and hugging him tightly. "We will return to Windrunner Village." She whispered, looking over her shoulder and seeing her two servants still sitting on the bed. "And they can come with us?"

"If they want to." Athrodar said, looking over to Raven and Scarlette. "They will no longer be serving a Queen though, so it might not appeal to them."

"Return to Windrunner Village with you and your family?" Raven asked, watching Sylvanas nod. "I have never been to the land of the elves, my Lady." She began to smile slowly, nodding her head slowly. "I would love to join you all. I will serve you, even if you're not the Queen and King anymore."

Sylvanas heard Scarlette agree, looking back up to Athrodar who was looking down at her. "Then it's settled. If nothing else comes up whilst we're in Kun-Lai Summit, dealing with the Sha of Anger, then we will retire once that land is cleansed and the Pandaren decide whether or not they will join us." She began to smile at him, placing a gentle hand on his cheek. "We will spend the rest of our days alone, with our family, uninterrupted."

* * *

**A/N: Sorry about the small change in upload times. I had lost internet for a week and couldn't upload any of the work I had been writing. So as a gift I have uploaded this chapter today and tomorrow will be the next one. (Yes on Christmas, so if you haven't guessed already, it will be somewhat Winter's Veil themed). **

**Again, sorry for the long wait for this chapter, I will upload the next one Monday (Or Friday if I have finished it by then). Until then, have a Happy Christmas (Or if you don't celebrate it, enjoy these two chapters and the rest of the week!) and I will upload again when I can!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Our First Family Winter's Veil**

Windrunner Village was covered in a thick layer of snow. Snow that hadn't been magically placed there by a spell, or from an invasion of Death Knights. No, this was natural and it had caught one elf's attention as he wrapped his cloak around himself whilst he stood on the balcony of his home, letting each snowflake that fell to touch him and turn to liquid as his warm skin melted each unique flake.

After all, this was his first at home with his entire family, including his adopted daughter, the mother of his first and the new child to ever growing house. Well, his wife's house. After all, he took up her last name after deciding he didn't want to hold on to the tainted one he already had.

When he heard movement coming from the bed he climbed out of a few minutes ago, he span on his heel to look at his wife and smiling when she saw her sleep peacefully in the bed. Titans she was beautiful and he told himself every time he looked at her that she was perfect, even more so now that she was alive. Sylvanas Windrunner, mother of two of his children and the one elf that had melted his once cold heart. The one elf that fought to keep him away from the Scourge and by her side as she saw he needed someone to keep him tamed.

Though that wasn't the only reason, and he knew it. She had been lonely for years, even before her sacrifice against Arthas, and she wanted - no - needed to find someone to love and care for. Luckily for the two of them, she had chosen him a long time ago. Unfortunately, several events stopped her from telling him until it was too late, but she found him again and managed to win him over into her Forsaken and more importantly, her bed.

As he walked back into their bedroom, he took off his cloak and placed it over the back of a chair before sitting down on it, watching his wife sleep and taking in as much of her as he could see, being as she kept the covers wrapped around her on this cold Winter's Veil morning.

"You better have closed the balcony doors, Athrodar. It's too cold out there to keep them open." Sylvanas mumbled, keeping her eyes closed as she aimed to catch as much sleep as she could.

"They're closed." Athrodar whispered to her, placing a hand on the top of her head and stroking her hair lightly. "Happy Winter's Veil."

Sylvanas opened her eyes slowly and looked at her husband who sat close by, smiling up at him before stretched and taking hold of his hand. "Come back to bed. You know the rules, we only wake up when our son wakes us up."

"The only rule of mine you follow." Athrodar told her, laughing lightly when she moved back before holding onto him when he climbed back into bed, wrapping one arm around her as she rest her head on his chest.

"It's just a very good rule." Sylvanas muttered before drifting off to sleep once more, only this time she was in the protective, loving arms of her mate.

Elsewhere, the first Windrunner child had woken up and was exercising her right as the oldest to find the best place to set up her present fort. After all, she loved Winter's Veil for the gifts and the gifts alone, so picking the right spot to open them in front of her family was very important to her.

"What do you think?" She asked, looking down at her Nightsaber who was laying down on a nearby couch, watching her scan the entire living room. "You're no help to me Snow unless you start giving me some input. This is our first Winter's Veil with our family. Me being alive and you being, well, here."

There was a long pause between both elf and Nightsaber which led to Snow resting his head on his paws and falling to sleep in front of her, making her let out a long sigh. "As usual, you leave the important stuff to me."

The moment she got set up however, was when Snow decided it was time to play, walking over to the elf and laying across her lap, purring and rubbing his head all over her until she caved in and began to stroke him. "You are incorrigable." She told her Nightsaber, having him lick her face and making her giggle. "I am glad Sera got me you instead of a Lynx like I suggested. You are much better." She planted a kiss on his nose which made him lick her face some more.

"You're up early." A voice said, making her look over to its owner and finding the Matriarch of her family walking passed her and towards the kitchen.

"It's Winter's Veil, grandma! I have to decide where to sit before the rest of this family wake up."

"Well if I know my son, he is already awake and is keeping your mother company whilst she tries to sleep for as long as possible." Illana smiled and shook her head, boiling some water for her morning coffee and glancing over her shoulder towards her adopted Grand Daughter. "So how excited are you to spend Winter's Veil with your entire family for the first time?"

"First time since I was brought back from undeath." Victoria corrected, petting Snow and looking over to Illana. "And the first time I get to spend it with Tanadia. This is her tenth now?"

"Eleventh." Illana now corrected, turning on her heel to face Victoria who smiled up at her. "The three years you were away, we spent Winter's Veil with her and Thalina who didn't want to be away from her daughter. I thought it would have been awkward, seeing as she still loves your father, but she behaved and even spent a lot of time with Sylvanas. After a few litres of alcohol in her system."

Victoria laughed, making Illana laugh too. "Perhaps she will be less intoxicated this year. With Sera coming by soon, she is bringing her sister and Luna, so she will have more people to talk to and distract her."

"Is Viraleth coming?" Illana asked, watching the smile on Victoria's face instantly wipe away at the name. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to assume anything."

Victoria shook her head. "No, it's okay. She is staying in Stormwind this year, being Ranger-General and all. Someone has to keep the peace whilst I'm here."

Illana smiled at her granddaughter, proud of how much she had grown this year. "The Queen of Stormwind has to rest too. Even if you're trying to prove to your parents that you're the perfect heir to the throne."

Victoria rolled her eyes. "I'm not the Queen yet." She began to smile at Illana who had a knowing smile on her face, one that knew she would become Queen soon, it was just a matter of when. "I know I have to rest. Which is why I'm here with my family."

Making her coffee, Illana walked back into the living room and sat down on the chair she had made her own over the last few days. "You know your parents would love you to be their heir to Stormwind."

"I know." Victoria said quietly, smiling and looking down at Snow who was now sleeping on her lap. "To think, go back a few years and I was just a Farstrider. Now I'm the Princess of Stormwind and its new possible Queen."

"Welcome to the family, little one." Illana said, sipping on her coffee. "When I married Athrodar's father, I went from a Jewelcrafter to the wife of the youngest in the Sunblade dynasty. Suddenly my life had changed drastically, going from relying on myself for things to having the people of our village willingly going out of there way to make sure I was comfortable." Illana smiled a little, remanicing about those times. "Tahnir and I were very happy in the early years."

Victoria frowned at the Matriarch. "What happened for that to change?"

Illana looked to her right and to a picture of Athrodar, Sylvanas and their two youngest, smiling sadly at it. "I gave birth to him." Realising it sounded horrible, she quickly looked back to Victoria and placed a hand up. "It's not to say he was what made my life worse. By the sun, no. I loved him more than I ever thought I could. It was when his father told me that he was going to be groomed into the position of attracting the powerful women of our society did I realise what this family was capable of."

Victoria looked down to Snow, finding her father's side of the family to be a difficult subject compared to her mother's side. "That plan worked in the end." She said quietly, not looking up to Illana.

"It did. But I can't help but feel that it also didn't work. He is married to the youngest Ranger-General we have ever seen in Quel'Thalas, which was what his Great Grandfather wanted, but he is happy and is talking about backing down from a position of power." Illana began to smile warmly, looking back to the picture of most of her family. "And the fact that Sylvanas has agreed only makes it all the sweeter that he isn't turning out like them."

"Well this is great Winter's Veil talk." Athrodar said, standing at the door to the living room with his daughter, Alleria, in his arms.

"How much did you hear?" His mother asked, looking up and over to him.

"Enough to know that my grandfather and his father would hate it if we stepped down from both the Warchief role and the King and Queen of Stormwind." Athrodar smiled and looked down at his baby daughter in his arms, seeing her stare up at him with eyes of wonder. "It's worth it though, because we get to be with our family."

"Where's mom?" Victoria asked.

"She should be here in a minute. Your brother woke us up and she is now torturing him with tickles and blowing on his belly."

Illana laughed lightly, taking another sip of her coffee and watching her son sit down on a nearby couch, watching him keep his undivided attention on his newborn. "This life is a lot better for this family than leading." She muttered to herself before leaning back in her chair.

* * *

Several hours passed since everyone began waking up, Illana, Thalina, Rhonin and Luna were all in the kitchen, getting food ready for the mass amount of people in the Windrunner household this day, having to feed sixteen mouths which didn't include Snow who had already eaten his meal, if only to get him away from the kitchen as he had been trying to steal food for a good hour.

Athrodar, Sylvanas and Vareesa were all sitting in the living room by the fire, both sisters catching up with each other whilst Athrodar just gave his wife company. Elaria, Tanadia, Tahnir and Vareesa's twins, Giramar and Galadin, were all outside having a snowball fight whilst Victoria and Sera were keeping Snow company as he fell asleep.

The final member of this party was sleeping on Illana's chair with Alleria in her arms, trying to catch as much sleep as she could after spending several long hours training young priests in Stormwind Cathedral.

"Do you think she will wake up in time for food?" Vareesa asked after catching a glimpse of Liadrin sleeping with Alleria in her arms, doing the same thing.

Athrodar looked over his shoulder and towards the Paladin, smiling at how peaceful she looked before looking back at his sister in law. "I'm sure she will." He glanced over to Sylvanas who was still watching the Paladin and her daughter sleep. "I know what you're thinking. Let her sleep. If you go over there, you will wake her up and she will start to cry. Then you will spend the next hours trying to get her to calm down."

Vareesa began to smirk. "Liadrin or your daughter?"

"I heard that..." The Paladin mumbled, opening her eyes a little so she could see them. "And I will fight any one of you who comes over here to take her off me. Aunty Liadrin is having some alone time with your children."

"She does know she's not really their aunt, right?" Vareesa whispered to Athrodar who chuckled and nodded his head.

"I'm sure she does. But she has been invaluable with raising them when we've been away, so I suppose she has earned the role." He placed his hand on his wife's knee, making her look back to him. "Should we give your sister her present?"

"Already?" Vareesa asked, tilting her head curiously at them. "I thought we were opening presents after we've eaten?"

"We are." Sylvanas told her, smiling at her little sister. "But this one is special and if I am correct, you will want to open this away from everyone."

Vareesa frowned at Sylvanas, accepting the present from her and sitting back in her chair before stroking a hand across it. "What is it?"

"Open it." Sylvanas said quietly, leaning against Athrodar when she watched Vareesa begin to tear the wrapping off it carefully.

"A picture?" The younger sister asked, revealing the frame before the actual picture. "Who is it?"

Sylvanas remained silent, smiling warmly at her sister which kept her calm as she continued to open it slowly, hearing her gasp when she saw the whole thing. "I found it, whilst we were cleaning up a few weeks ago. It must have slipped down the back of the wardrobe because the cleaners didn't find it when they were fixing this place." She sat forward and palced a hand on Vareesa's knee, making her lookup to her with watery eyes. "I made a copy and put it beside our bed, you have the original, Little Moon."

Vareesa placed the picture down and leapt at her sister, hugging her tightly as she began to gently cry into her shoulder. "I haven't got a picture of the four of us together." She whispered, tightening her grip around Sylvanas. "Lirath looks so young and Alleria... I miss them so much, Lady Moon."

"I know." Sylvanas whispered back to her, keeping her emotions in check as she didn't want to have both Windrunner sisters reduced to a crying mess. "Happy Winter's Veil." She told her, hearing Vareesa try to repeat it but ultimately giving up when she couldn't say it without her voice breaking.

"Dinner's ready." Illana said, poking her head into the room. "Tell them outside to dry off and come in. Hopefully they will be ready before Elaria."

Whilst everyone inside began to make their way to the eight large tables made up into one massive table, Athrodar called for those outside to come in as dinner was being prepared, grabbing a nearby towel and wrapping it around Tanadia and Tahnir as they came inside, having Rhonin do the same for his twins, leaving Elaria to freeze as nobody wrapped a towel around her. "Hey! I a-am c-cold too, you kn-now!"

"There's a fire." Athrodar told her, watching her storm off before being stopped by Luna who wrapped a towel around her, scrubbing Tanadia's hair with the towel in his hand to dry it off, making her laugh when he done the same to Tahnir, having his hair stick up and not realising her hair was also sticking up. "There, now put on some dry clothes and then you can eat."

Sylvanas took hold of Athrodar's hand when he sat down at the head of the table, kissing the back of it and giving him a smile that filled his heart with so much warmth, a fireplace couldn't even compete. "I love you." She whispered, keeping hold of his hand and stroking it across her cheek. "And I'm sure I will love you more when I see what you have got me for Winter's Veil."

Athrodar smiled and placed his free hand in his pocket, pulling out his gift for Sylvanas and placing it stealthily on her lap. "It's not much, but the moment I saw them I knew you would love them."

Sylvanas made sure to silently open her present, occasionally glancing up to Athrodar who was pretending not to notice, keeping his gaze on the food that was being set up by Thalina, Illana, Luna and Rhonin. "A box." She whispered once the wrapping was off, slowly opening it and smiling to herself when she saw the gift. "This is -"

"Not the only gift." Athrodar interrupted, placing a second box on her lap and watching her eyes widen before she looked up at him. "So maybe it was more than one gift."

Opening the second gift, Sylvanas smile grew wider which attracted the attention of a few people around the table, notibly Victoria who frowned at her. "What are you doing?" She asked quietly, seeing her mother look up at her.

"Opening my gifts from your father." She told her, holding up a box of blue war paint that she had been trying to find in Stormwind for months, giving up when every store owner told her they didn't sell it there. The second gift however was more personal, showing Victoria and already knowing she would be confused as to what it was. "This is what my mother used to wear." She looked down at the gift and smiled once more. "She used to pin it to her tunic, just over her heart."

Vareesa looked over to her sister and widened her eyes at the gift in her hand. "Is that..?"

"It is." Sylvanas told her, looking back to Victoria who was still confused. "It's our house sigil. Our mother used to wear it over her heart so we would always be close to her when she went out into the forests with her company." She stroked a hand over to pin, looking over to Athrodar who was acting like it wasn't a big deal. "How did you find this?" Just as the question was asked, she held up her hand. "Let me guess, blacksmith?"

"Correct. I got the one in Stormwind to make it, but the real work was delving into the history books in Silvermoon to find a picture of your family sigil." Athrodar laughed lightly. "Four books about our Ranger-General's and two about the Windrunner's later and I found it."

Sylvanas smiled and looked down at the pin, rubbing her thumb across it before handing it to Vareesa so she could have a look. "I love it, thank you." She told Athrodar, just as the last plate of food was set down on the table. "My gifts will look like nothing compared to the work you put in to this."

"No gifts will be better than the one I get to wake up to every day." Athrodar told her, kissing the back of her hand and gazing into her eyes. "I love you."

Sylvanas smiled at him. "A bit sappy, my love, but I love you too."

* * *

Once the food was eaten and everyone had retired to the living room, too stuffed to move any more or taking a nap as eating so much had sapped their energy, those who were still alive and kicking were opening up their presents and showing them off to the rest who were doing the same.

Amongst the few who were fighting their fatigue was Athrodar, trying to watch Victoria, Tanadia and Tahnir open their presents whilst Sylvanas slept beside him, her head resting on a pillow on the other side of the couch he sat on whilst she rest her legs across him, having Alleria sleep in her cot just in front of her mother so she was nearby.

Whilst the adults either napped or were tidying up, Victoria watched her sister open the present she got for her, smiling when she saw the joy on her face at the gift. "I know it's a bit big at the moment, but when you're big enough to use it you should have passed your priestess training."

Tanadia stood up and held the present in her hand. It was a pure white staff with a long blue strip winding down from the head all the way to the bottom. "It's so cool!" The young priestess said, holding it with both hands and looking up at the head of the staff which was a diamond with a cross in the middle, also pure white with a blue strip wrapping around it. "Thank you, Victoria. I love it!"

Victoria hugged her step sister when she placed the staff down and leapt at her. "You're welcome, little one. You're my little sister, I want to make you happy."

"Well I am!" Tanadia told her, pulling back from the hug and looking back at the staff. "It's the best gift ever!"

Over the next hour, the rest of those who hadn't yet opened their presents, began to open them. Countless thanks and hugs and kisses were given to those who had gifted presents to others, a few laughs at the joke gifts and the occasional kiss that lasted a bit too long when Elaria got a gift from one of the women in the group. Though she made sure to stay clear of Sylvanas as she was the one woman that would take her games to scary heights, even for the Night Elf.

Before too long, night had began to fall on Windrunner Village and those who had not planned to sleep over, were saying their goodbyes. "Thank you again for the gift." Thalina said to Sylvanas who smiled at her and took hold of the Magister's hands. "I have been in Stormwind for a few years now and I have yet to go clothes shopping for real. So the robes, leggings and gloves are much needed."

Sylvanas kissed her on the cheek, keeping her warm smile on her face as she looked down at the mother of Athrodar's first. "Any time. I hope Tanadia liked her gift too." She looked passed the Magister and towards the young priestess who was resting her head on Liadrin's arm, trying to keep awake. "I'm sure I will find out soon enough when we next see her."

Thalina nodded and looked passed Sylvanas, focusing on Athrodar who was taking Tahnir to bed, the little elf falling asleep an hour before everyone began to leave. "Don't wait too long, my Lady. She will want to see her father again soon."

Sylvanas bowed her head. "We will be back in the city for new years."

The next to leave was Elaria and Luna, the Draenei keeping the drunk elf on her feet. "I will see you in a few days, my Lady." She said, keeping hold of Elaria's hand as she began to walk off, staying perfectly still to keep the Night elf close by. "Last check up for the year then you are all clear to avoid Liadrin and I."

Sylvanas laughed lightly, bowing her head at the Draenei this time. "I won't avoid you, Luna. You have proven invaluable to us and that's something I can't lose."

As those who were leaving got on their way, Sylvanas closed the door to Windrunner Manor and looked back to Athrodar who had just put Tahnir to bed, closing his door slowly as to not wake him. "My sister is taking our room for the night, Sera is in Victoria's room and Galadin and Giramar are in the spare room."

Athrodar nodded. "And my mother is in her room." He looked over to the living room and towards the couch he had become all too familiar with whenever Vareesa stayed over. "I suppose we're back to this for a few days."

Sylvanas chuckled and nodded her head. "Yes we are."

They both walked over to the couch and sat down at practically the same time, letting out a sigh of exhaustion and leaning on each other as they stared at the dying embers of the log fire in front of them in the fireplace. "Let's not befriend anyone else." Athrodar whispered to her. "Sixteen of us is just enough, especially for this place."

Sylvanas yawned and nodded, laying down beside Athrodar and propping her feet up on his lap, smiling and closing her eyes when he began to rub her left foot. "We have a big family, what can I say?"

"It would be just a bit bigger if Viraleth joined us one of these years." Athrodar told her, rubbing his thumbs hard against the bottom of her feet, relieving any of the stress she had there. "I get she doesn't want to be around Victoria if Sera is there, but she is a part of our family too."

There was a sigh that caught Athrodar's attention, though it wasn't one complimenting his work, it was a saddened one coming from his wife. "I will try to talk to her again. She didn't come to the last three whilst Victoria was away, but now she is back, she still didn't come."

When Athrodar was satisfied he had rubbed all the stress out of Sylvanas' feet, he moved to lay beside her, wrapping one arm around her waist when she rolled onto her side and planting a kiss behind her ear. "Conversation for another day." He whispered, planting another kiss in the same location. "For now, we are going to replay our day to ourselves whilst sleeping in each other's arms."

Sylvanas smiled at the plan, nodding her head in agreement. "Happy Winter's Veil, my love. This was the best one yet."

"Happy Winter's Veil to you too." Athrodar whispered back to her, kissing her on the lips when she looked up at him. "And I agree. This was the best one yet."

* * *

Athrodar climbed to the helm of the ship he and Sylvanas were on, sailing towards Pandaria after recieving news about Kun-Lai Summit and deciding to bring reinforcements from all around Stormwind and Elwynn Forest. Once he reached the helm, he smiled at his Queen who looked lost in deep thought and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her behind when he stood just a step behind her. "What are you thinking about?" He asked quietly, stirring her out of her train of thought.

Sylvanas smiled and leaned back against him, removing her hands from the wheel of the ship and closing her eyes when she recieved a kiss on the cheek. "Winter's Veil. The last one we had to be precise." She squeezed one of his hands, opening her eyes and spinning around to face him when he let go of her. "It just reminded me of how much I need that life. Two centuries of fighting and only a handful of years of rest."

Athrodar pressed his head against hers when he leant forward, closing his eyes the same time she did and holding her hand. "We will get that life very soon, my love. You, me, Victoria, our two little ones. We will all move to Windrunner Village once we're done here and then you can spend every day of your life with your children in your arms, never letting go of them."

Sylvanas smiled and let out a small laugh. "And when they're old enough to go out in the world and find a life for themselves, I will still be holding them in my arms and refusing to let go."

"Like all mothers before you." Athrodar said, kissing her on the lips. "Just never forget that we're fighting for that when we reach land. I know I will be thinking of nothing else than returning home to our family."

Sylvanas opened her eyes and looked at him, though there was a lot more worry in them than love. "Just don't do anything that will get you killed." She whispered to him, watching him open his eyes and look into hers.

"I won't." He whispered back to her. "I will stand by your side, fight by your side and make sure that we both make it through this." Athrodar cupped her face in his hands and gave her a long kiss, breaking contact with her for a split second before hugging her tightly, feeling arms wrap around him just as tightly so they were both just about able to breathe. "I love you."

"I love you too." Sylvanas whispered to him, letting a few tears of worry roll down her cheeks as she stayed buried in her lover's chest.


	10. Chapter 10

**Quick Notes:**** I know, my upload schedule has been very poor this last month, but I have been ill over Christmas whilst also stupidly writing myself into a wall. This has taken me over two weeks to write due to not knowing how to go about it. I didn't play much of Mists of Pandaria so I don't know this fight as well as I do the other fights I have covered over this series. I have also had doubts about carrying on the Mists of Pandaria side of this story, despite it being important to this story, I am not having much fun writing it and would love to just skip to Legion. Unfortunately it doesn't work like that and I have to keep the story going so it transitions into the next expansion (Skipping Warlords of Draenor).  
**

**And on top of that, I have had a lot more ideas for the Legion Invasion more than anything to do with Pandaria, so my mind has been busy with brainstorming what I could do when it comes to the Legion, which has slowed down this chapter a significant amount.**

* * *

**Grand Empress**

Victoria took hold of a bandage that was offered to her by a Pandaren monk, thanking them and wrapping it around her arm to stop the cut she recieved from a mantid from bleeding out any longer than it had. "Last hurdle, right?" She asked, looking up to Sera who stood beside the Princess. "One more big bad before we can go back to the camp and rest."

Sera sat down beside the Princess, helping her with the bandage whilst she went on looking around at the bodies that were being taken away, seeing her pained expression at losing more recruits and seasoned rangers. "Yes, my Lady. It's the last one."

"Good, because I need to return to my parents and tell them of my final decision." Victoria didn't look at her Captain, instead keeping her focus on each and every body that was being taken out of the room they were in.

"Which is?" Sera asked, keeping her hand on the bandage around Victoria's arm.

"I am going to be the Queen of Stormwind." Victoria said, watching a human, barely out of his teens, being carried away by a few Pandaren and letting out a long sigh. "Only so I can continue their vision. I don't want any more young boys or girls being killed in a war that doesn't need to happen."

Sera watched the human be taken away, nodding her head slowly as she felt Victoria would hold up that promise. "I will be there for you when you do take the throne, my Lady. I know you will work hard to keep what you parents have done and I will be there to help you in any way I can."

"Thank you." Victoria looked over to her Captain. "Then can you help me come up with a way to tell them?"

Sera laughed lightly and nodded her head, kissing the top of Victoria's as she moved an arm around her for a half hug. "I'll try to think of something, my Lady."

When the last body was taken away, Victoria stood up and looked over to Taran Zhu who had one of his arms in a sling, refusing to return to camp as he was adamant he had to lead his Shado-Pan in this final assault. "We should get going." The Pandaren said, looking over to Victoria and Sera. "The Grand Empress is just in the next room. We may have lost a number of good fighters, but we still have one more task to do."

"Let me just say goodbye to him." Victoria said, looking over to Snow who was being looked after by several of the injured rangers.

The second the Princess crouched down beside the Nightsaber, she heard him let out a low growl when he tried to lift his head up to hers, being pushed back down lightly by Victoria who kissed the top of his head. "No, don't get up little one." Her heart began to sting when she looked over her best friend, biting her bottom lip to keep herself from bawling her eyes out. He had taking a very bad knock that broke his back left leg when he tried to protect the Princess from a devastating swing coming from their previous fight, a giant amber construct and the Mantid that was controlling it. "My sisters will look after you whilst you're taking back to our main camp, I will be back as soon as possible once we've finished here." She kissed his nose and pet him lightly. "I'll fight hard to make sure I get back to you."

Sera watched the Princess nuzzle her head against Snow's, smiling a little when she hugged his neck before standing up and watching the injured group begin to leave for camp. "Are you ready, my Lady?" She asked, wiping away a small tear that slowly rolled down her cheek.

Victoria nodded. "I am." She looked back to the group taking Snow away and watched as his tail, the final part of him, disappeared around the corner. "What should we expect?" She asked, looking over Taran Zhu.

"The toughest fight yet." Taran Zhu told her. "The Grand Empress leads the Mantid, the lack of resistance between each room has to be because she has pulled her forces back to her." The Pandaren looked down the corridor they were about to walk down. "We will lose a lot of warriors this fight."

Victoria let out a long, deep sigh, understanding that she had to live with losing more of her rangers but not being able to back out of it as they were so close to clearing this hive. "I know." She looked over to Sera who gave her a knowing smile. "We best get the rangers ready. I trust you will meet us closer to the Grand Empress."

Sera bowed her head. "I'll gather our Rangers, my Lady."

* * *

Sylvanas stood at the front of _The Windrunner_, looking at Pandaria getting closer by the second and gazing at the mountains of Kun-Lai Summit that were taking up most of the scenery in front of her. "It's a shame we are about to go to war in this place." She said, glancing over her shoulder and towards Athrodar who stood behind her. "I would very much like to see it before it's destroyed by fire and conflict."

"I'm sure we will." Athrodar whispered to her, slowly wrapping his arms around his Queen and kissing her on the neck. "We will travel those mountains, find the most perfect, serene location to spend a good two weeks alone, looking out at the rest of Kun-Lai Summit in the comfort of a fur blanket wrapped around us to keep warm in the snow." He began to kiss his way up her ear, smiling when he felt her lean into him. "We will be naked, our bodies held tightly against each other to also keep us warm should the fur blanket not be enough, all whilst waiting for darkness to fall so we could look up at the thousands of stars above us."

Sylvanas smiled and span around to face him, cupping his face in her hands and gazing into his eyes. "Maybe not here, in Kun-Lai Summit, but that sounds like a wonderful plan for another day. One that is close, I hope."

"So do I." Athrodar told her, pressing his head against hers and smiling when he felt Sylvanas' hands move around his neck. "We just have to clear out the Sha in Kun-Lai Summit and then we can go home, for good."

"For good." Sylvanas repeated to him, moving her head down to his chest and listening to his heart beat in her ear. "Stay close to me when we land. I don't want to lose you."

Athrodar smiled and kissed the top of her head. "If you keep telling me to stay close to you, I might make it my mission to keep some distance."

"No you won't." Sylvanas said matter-of-factly, keeping her arms around him and her ear pressed to his chest. "I'll tie your leg to mine if I have to."

"That would give us a challenge during a fight." Athrodar told her, pulling back and looking down at his Queen. "It would be very interesting though, trying to fight off our enemies whilst you've tied our legs together."

Just as Sylvanas was about to speak, Seliana rang the bell on the helm of the ship to signify them coming into port, making the Queen look towards Pandaria and spot the docks they were closing in on. "Who are we going to be fighting beside?" She asked, looking up at her King.

"Baine, Vol'jin and Eitrigg are going to be there. Moira has already made camp for us, so she should be there with her Dark Irons and Tyrande has already sent her Sentinals to find the best position to launch an attack."

"What about Jaina, Velen and Lor'themar?" Sylvanas asked him, turning back around to face him. "Where are they?"

"They are apparently on some new land called the Isle of Thunder? Nathanos is on his way there to check it out before reporting back to us." Athrodar looked down at Sylvanas who was frowning at this news, watching her begin to pace slowly. "Something on your mind?"

"Why didn't they tell us before hand?" Sylvanas asked out loud, spinning on her heel to face her King when she reached the side of the ship. "I would have given them my approval to search this Isle of Thunder."

"Maybe it was an emergency and they couldn't wait? It's Lor'themar, my love. He goes on about how much he admires his former Ranger-General, he wouldn't do anything behind your back unless it was important." Athrodar placed a hand on her cheek when she looked up at him, smiling down at her. "I'm sure when we get the report back from Nathanos, he will confirm it was necessary to go there without telling us first and seeking our approval."

"You're right." Sylvanas muttered, smiling up at Athrodar when he continued to smile down at her. "You always are, my love. Which is why I am so confident we will return home after we are finished here."

"Good. That means I will be safe if you're so confident." Athrodar kissed his Queen who placed her hands on his face and kissed him back. "So how are we going to go about this? Meet up with everyone and discuss a plan of attack, or send scouts to find this Sha and study it like the Kaldorei?"

"We'll send out scouts once we get to camp." Sylvanas told him, taking hold of his hand and looking towards the docks which had a few different ships ported around it, ranging from Darkspear to Kaldorei, even a few Orc Warships and one or two human ships. "In the meantime, we will send out a couple more scouts to find Pandaren villages that could use our help, no matter what it is."

Athrodar nodded his head in agreement. "Very well. It's a good way to build relationships with the Pandaren. It would get them to trust us more."

"That's my thinking. Making life easier for whomever takes over from us." Sylvanas looked up to the helm of the ship and towards her Captain who was focusing on docking the ship. "Should we offer Seliana a place back at Windrunner Village? She has been very loyal to me and I want to reward her with a place in our home should she ever want to join the handful of us stepping back from the fight."

"She's too good to want to retire, but it couldn't hurt." Athrodar kissed his Queen behind her ear, looking over to Pandaria that was now a few yards away. "I'm sure she'll be thankful of the offer."

* * *

Victoria let loose an arrow into the Grand Empress, watching the projectile hit its mark but do no damage whatsoever to the giant mantid. "Her armour is too thick. Our arrows can't pierce it!" She yelled, looking over to Sera who had come to the same conclusion. "Now what!?"

"I will dispose of you, outsiders!" The Grand Empress cried, towering over the Shado-Pan and the Elven Rangers whilst commanding hundreds of mantid to charge forward and into their lines. "Death to all who dare challenge my empire!"

"Well at least we all get to die instead of a handful." Sera told the Princess, looking the Grand Empress up and down to find a weak spot to exploit. "She is going to be completely invulnerable, isn't she?"

"No. There has to be something we can aim for." Victoria told her, looking over to Taran Zhu who was commanding his Shado-Pan to take care of the lesser mantid. "Do you see anything?"

The Pandaren shook his head. "There will be something. Just give my Shado-Pan and I a chance to find it. We will tell you where your Rangers can focus."

Victoria pointed over to the left side of the room they were in. "Gather our rangers there, don't group up too tightly as they could still have projectiles launched against them." The Princess looked over to the Grand Empress who was now being distracted by the Shado-Pan. "I will help Taran Zhu find a weakness."

"Splitting up your forces? Hah! You won't find a weakness in my armour! I have spent years perfecting it to which you will find impressive!" The Grand Empress chuckled, summoning two midnight purple orbs in her hands and focusing her gaze on a handful of rangers. "Now, see your demise before my very eyes!"

Victoria looked over to the handful of rangers who began to stare into the Grand Empress Shek'zeer's eyes in horror. "What is going on?" The Princess looked over to Taran Zhu who noticed the group of rangers looking on in horror. "What's happening to them?"

"It's like she said..." The Pandaren muttered, looking over to Victoria. "They are seeing visions of their deaths. It's all a lie, but they don't know that until their gaze is removed from hers."

Victoria commanded her rangers to look away from the Grand Empress' gaze, only to be ignored by them completely. "Well that didn't work."

Sera ran towards one of the infatuated rangers, moving her hands over their eyes and watching as they turned around to face the Royal Captain. "Wh-what happened?" They asked, looking over to the Princess. "Why are we still here? She is going to kill us all!"

Sera hit the ranger across their face, trying to smack some sense into them. "It was a fake vision! Clear your head and get back to your brothers and sisters! The visions you saw aren't real!"

Victoria tried to do the same with another ranger, only she was far less successful in blocking their vision. As she got close enough to touch them, she was blasted by the Grand Empress who launched a black spell at her, knocking her back several yards and hitting her head as she landed hard against the floor.

The last thing she saw before darkness took her was Sera running over to her and hearing her name being yelled faintly.

When she came to, she felt a heavy weight on her legs as well as a hand holding onto hers tightly, slowly opening her eyes and noticing a flickering light in the corner of her vision. Looking over to the hand holding onto hers, she saw Sera sleeping next to her, supporting a large cut across her eye that had been poorly stitched, almost as if it was a quick job done by someone who wasn't looking.

Slowly sitting up, she looked down at the weight on her legs and felt relief wash over her as it was Snow sleeping on them as appose to something else entirely. She looked over to his leg and smiled at the cast on it, petting his head lightly with her free hand. "You are going to need some armour, little one. Just so you don't end up being severely injured when you next try to save me."

Sera opened her eyes when she heard Victoria speak, sitting up and inspecting her closely without saying a word. When she was satisfied that the Princess was okay, specifically when Victoria smiled brightly at her, she kissed her hard on the lips after feeling a warmth in her stomach. "I am so glad you're okay." Sera whispered to her, hugging her tightly.

"How is your eye?" Victoria asked, looking at the cut that went across her left eye. "What happened? The last thing I remember was you calling out my name."

"We defeated the Grand Empress, clearly." Sera smiled at her. "It was tough, took a long time and we had more losses than I thought we would, but Taran Zhu and his Shado-Pan found her weakness and exploited it." Sera's smile saddened a little. "We lost a lot of good Rangers, my Lady."

Victoria saw the pain in her Captain's eyes, narrowing her own at her. "How many did we lose?" She asked with a seriousness in her voice.

"Out of the four hundred Rangers we had in the final fight? We lost almost one hundred, another hundred are injured." Sera looked away from the Princess who began to feel sick at the number of Rangers she had lost in her first true fight as a leader. "We expected this, my Lady. We were told we would lose a third of our entire army going in there. To come out with more than expected is good, no matter how you look at it."

Victoria stood up from the bed she woke up in, stumbling forward and holding onto her head as she became both light headed and dizzy as well as feeling a massive pressure in her head as a headache quickly took over. "Where are we?" She asked when she made her way over to the flap of her tent, pushing it to one side and looking out at a land she had no recognition of.

"Kun-Lai Summit, my Lady. The Shado-Pan had received word your parents and the rest of their army had made camp here and moved their wounded to this camp and then sent their fighters to help with whatever your parents are doing here." Sera stood beside the Princess, placing a hand on her forehead and rubbing a thumb across the cut along her eye. "The healers said this will scar. They tried to close the wound but it's laced with a magic that rejected their full healing capabilities. So it will heal, but it will scar."

Victoria looked up at her Captain and placed a hand over the bottom half of her cut, hearing Sera hiss at just her touch and retracting her hand instantly. "I'm sorry, I didn't know it was so sensitive."

Sera recoiled back a little, smiling and then laughing at her. "I'm kidding. You didn't do anything to hurt me." She placed a hand on the Princess' forehead and over the bandage Victoria just realised was there. "Your parents will be by the second they know you're awake, so I must tell you the truth. You got lucky in there, my Lady. A fragment of hardened amber pierced the back of your head when you hit the floor and was inches away from killing you. We have been here in this camp for almost two weeks whilst you've been recovering and your parents had rarely left your side. That is until today when they got word of a Sha sighting nearby and left to investigate."

Victoria widened her eyes and stepped back slowly. "Wait... wait, wait, wait. What!?" She looked over to Snow and saw his leg in the cast, trying to make sense of the sudden rush of information given to her. "But... what? I have been asleep for two weeks!?" The Princess began to get dizzy again, sitting down on the edge of her bed and holding onto her head. "This headache... Is it..?"

"Because of the shard of amber, yes. Liadrin has done all she can, extracting the entire shard but not closing the wound completely. Because of the magic the Grand Empress held, it's going to take some time to heal too and will scar. The same goes for everyone who survived the assault on the Grand Empress and was injured, they will scar and have lasting tokens of that fight." Sera sat down on the bed beside the Princess and placed a hand on her knee. "A mercy compared to dying after only just being brought back to life."

"I think I need to lay down and take this all in..." Victoria muttered, laying down next to Snow and stroking his paw lightly. "How worried were they?" She asked, looking over to Sera who sat on the other side of Snow.

"You have no idea. Sylvanas was to you what Athrodar was to her when she was unconcious. She never wanted to leave this bed." Sera looked over to the table next to the bed they were on, smiling at the wood carving of a ranger placed on top of it, something Sylvanas made whilst she sat beside her daughter. "That's just one of the four carvings she made whilst she sat here. She keeps the rest somewhere else and left that one out because it's the best one out of the four."

Victoria picked up the carving and smiled at it, laying back down beside Snow and rubbing her thumb across the ranger carving. "She made one for Tahnir and is planning to make one for Alleria when she is old enough to not put everything in her mouth every second she is alone." She smiled a little wider at the carving. "It's perfect. I have to say thank you to her when she comes back."

"Believe me. You won't be able to get a word in when they get back. Sylvanas will make sure you are okay and well above anything else." The Night Elf looked over to the flaps of the tent. "I can't wait to see you try to stop her."


	11. Chapter 11

**I Have Something To Tell You**

Sylvanas and Athrodar rode back into camp with their respected Royal Rangers and a small group of Shado-Pan they had come across on the road. "Is she awake?" The Queen asked Ranger Lyana.

"She is, my Lady. We were about to send out a few Rangers to look for you to inform you that your daughter was awake."

Sylvanas looked over to Athrodar and handed him the reins of her mount. "You know I have to go there immediately." She told him, watching him smile, nod and take the reins off her.

"I know." Athrodar said softly. "Go, I'll be by shortly."

Lyana watched Sylvanas run towards the tent that held the Princess in, glancing back to Athrodar who was taking their mounts to the stables. "Why aren't you going over there with her?" She asked, following her King to the stables. "I could take over for you whilst you go with her to see your daughter."

Athrodar just smiled at the Ranger. "It's okay. She went through for two weeks what I went through for a month and a half. I'm going to let her hug, kiss or do whatever she wants to our daughter. Though it's probably going to involve a lot of hugging and several kisses on the cheek."

Lyana smiled back at him. "Very well, my King."

Meanwhile, Sylvanas had arrived at the tent which held her daughter and instantly ran to her side when she saw she was awake. "My baby girl." She whispered in her ear the second she hugged her. "This is why I want us to go home and be away from everything." She kissed Victoria on the cheek. "You will never be hurt if we return home."

Sera looked over to Victoria who was already looking over to her. "Are you going to tell her?"

Sylvanas pulled back and frowned at both of them, looking over to Sera before asking the one question that crossed her mind. "Tell me what?" She looked over to her daughter who was now looking down and away from her. "What are you keeping from me?"

Victoria sighed and took hold of her mother's hand. "I... despite everything that has happened, I have decided to not come home with you and dad. I have decided to take over as Queen of Stormwind when you step down."

Sylvanas felt both happy and sad at what was just said, opting to stick to the former feeling as it seemed to take over the latter. "I can't say I'm not upset." She told her, squeezing her hand. "I want more than nothing to have you back in Windrunner Village with your father and I, but I can see that you have discussed this with your Captain and have come to this conclusion on your own."

Victoria smiled and nodded. "I have. I can't say I didn't think about coming home with you two, but after leading our rangers into that Mantid Hive, I couldn't think about doing anything else." She looked over to Sera who nodded once at her. "I'm sorry for telling you I will come home with you, but I need to do this, mom."

Sylvanas shook her head but continued to smile at her. "No, don't apologise. I am happy you want to become Queen when I step down, I know you will be fantastic."

When Athrodar entered the tent, he stepped aside as Sera made to leave said tent and looked over to his wife and daughter who were hugging once more. "I see things have turned out just how I predicted." He said, closing the flap of the tent. "Though I would have thought there would be more tears."

Sylvanas rolled her eyes and pulled back from her daughter who was shaking her head. "He really thinks we should be crying?" She asked Victoria.

"Perhaps when I am fully healed, we should kick his ass and make him cry." Victoria suggested.

Sylvanas raised her eyebrow at the plan. "That's not a bad idea." She looked over her shoulder and towards Athrodar who raised an eyebrow of his own at them. "He's not as strong as he thinks he is, especially after losing his Death Knight abilities. He should be afraid of us."

"I believe he is." Victoria said, resting her head on her mother's shoulder and closing her eyes tightly as her head began to throb. "I need to see a healer soon."

"What's wrong?" Sylvanas asked, stroking the hair out of her daughter's eyes.

"My head is killing me. Every now and then it begins to hurt like hell that I can feel my own pulse without even touching my head and I get dizzy. All of it goes away when I close my eyes, but only for an hour before I have to call for a priest." Victoria grit her teeth when the throbbing began to increase, holding onto Sylvanas' hand tightly. "Please... I need Liadrin or someone."

Before she even had to ask, Athrodar was already out the tent and off to find the Paladin, kissing her daughter on the forehead and looking at her face, watching it scrunch up as the pain increased. "Your father is going to find a healer. Just fight through it and he will be back with one so they can help you."

Returning with Liadrin, Athrodar sat down at the foot of the bed beside Snow and began to pet the nightsaber whilst Liadrin placed a gentle hand on Victoria's head. "I'm glad to see you're awake, my Lady." The Paladin said, making her hands glow a golden yellow as the light began to take over. "But like I told you a few hours ago, you need to stay laying down to avoid feeling like this. You can sit or even stand up for a couple minutes to get something, like a drink or to relieve yourself, but you have to spend the majority of your time laying down in bed for at least another week." She looked over to Sylvanas who was holding onto her daughter's hand. "Now I know you're in this family and they don't listen to my advice, but please, listen to me now."

"I will." Victoria said, no longer gritting her teeth as Liadrin's soothing hand was calming her head throbbing. Squeezing her mother's hand but not looking at her, she asked a question that crossed her mind when thinking back to what Sera told her. "Did you find the Sha?"

Sylvanas smiled at the question, kissing the back of her daughter's hand. "Already acting like a leader I see. Asking questions about topics that concern our people." She squeezed Victoria's hand before answering her. "We found something, yes. Some form of Taunka, a sub race of Tauren, not affected by the Sha but happily attacking Pandaren villages. We helped them by pushing back the Tauren.. Taunka people and setting up a guard to keep away future attacks."

Athrodar continued to pet Snow, lighting stroking circles on his head and watching Sylvanas climb into the bed next to their daughter, knowing her head was off limits and deciding to rest her own on Victoria's chest, just over her heart so she could hear it beat. "Comfortable?" He asked, grinning at his wife who chose to ignore him. "We can't be here all day, Lor'Themar is sending one of his Rangers back to give us an update."

"No, we can't." Sylvanas sat up a little and looked over to Athrodar, ignoring Liadrin who complained about her moving and rocking Victoria who was being healed. "But you can, for the two of us." She batted her eyelashes just as she saw Athrodar was about to argue, pouting at him and making herself look innocent. "Please. I need to spend time with our daughter who has just woken up." Sylvanas looked at the Princess. "She needs her mother."

Athrodar stood up and walked to the tent flap and pulled it back, looking over to his Queen and Princess. "I'll go find the ranger and listen to what they have to say." He looked over to Liadrin who was focusing on healing Victoria. "Make sure she is okay."

"If she takes my advice, she will be." Liadrin told him.

* * *

"Is the Queen not joining us?" The Ranger Lor'themar sent asked, watching Athrodar sit down on the head chair in the command desk.

"She is not. Our daughter has just woken up from her injury and she is spending time with her." Athrodar looked up at the Ranger who stood on the opposite side of the tent, holding a report in their hands. "What news has the Regent Lord got for us?"

The Ranger looked down at the report in their hands, debating whether or not to tell Athrodar now or to wait for Sylvanas. "No offence, my King... But I feel like Lady Sylvanas should be here for this."

Athrodar smiled a little and stood up from his chair, slowly walking around the long table and towards the ranger, chuckling quietly as he got closer the more he thought about what the ranger said. "You know I'm the King, right?"

"I do, my King." The ranger said. "But I -"

"I am Lady Sylvanas' husband, right?"

The Ranger looked down and nodded slowly. "You are, my King."

"And I am the Queen's most trusted confidant. So whatever you have to tell her, you can tell me and I will pass it on." Athrodar stood in front of the ranger and held out his hand. "The report."

The Ranger handed Athrodar the report, watching him read it quickly and glance up at them. "It's true. What is says in there."

"So Vareesa is on the Isle of Thunder, helping Jaina with her project whilst Lor'themar, Halduron and Rommath are doing their own thing." Athrodar sighed. "And here I was hoping they would all work together." He began to walk away from the ranger, placing the report down on the table and pacing slowly. "What's the point in making a united Azeroth if they stick to their Horde and Alliance roots. And Vareesa helping Jaina and not Lor'themar too despite what her sister has done?" He shook his head. "Sylvanas is not going to like this." Glancing over his shoulder, Athrodar looked back to the Ranger. "Thank you, you can leave."

Once he was alone, Athrodar sat down at the head of the table and buried his head in his hands, letting out a long sigh. "Tough day?"

Athrodar looked up and towards Elaria who was smirking at him. "Something like that." He pushed the report over to Elaria who then looked down at it and picked it up to read it.

"Ouch. Does Sylvanas know about this?" Elaria asked, looking over to Athrodar who shook his head. "Do you plan to tell her?" She let out a small laugh. "Who am I kidding? You still haven't told her about the Old God thing."

Athrodar shot up from his chair and pointed at the Night Elf. "Hey! I told you that in confidence." He looked over to the entrance of the command tent, thanking the Gods that his Queen wasn't there to hear that. "She doesn't know because a lot has been going on recently that I don't want to make things worse."

Elaria grinned and sat on the chair next to him, tapping on the cushion of his chair. "Come on, sit." When he did, she put an arm around him and pulled him close. "Look I am your best friend, correct?"

Athrodar nodded. "Correct."

"Good, because I need to ask you something." Elaria leaned closer to Athrodar who leaned closer to her in return, lowering her voice to a whisper. "Have you and Sylvanas ever... you know... tied each other up during sex?"

Athrodar pulled back and narrowed his eyes at the Night Elf. "I'm sorry?"

"You know.. Like getting a ribbon and tying your partners wrists to the bed posts as well as their ankles so they can't escape?" The moment she saw Athrodar hesitate to answer, she knew he had and began to grin mischievously at him. "When?"

Knowing his Captain could always read him like a book, Athrodar gave up on talking his way out of it and decided to tell her. "A few days before we came here for the first time. I woke up tied to the bed with our servants taking full advantage of the situation."

"And no Sylvanas to take charge of the opportunity?" Elaria grinned at him. "How interesting. Did she get to play with her helpless King?"

"Eventually, yes." Athrodar narrowed his eyes at her, using this opportunity to turn the conversation back on her. "Why do you ask?"

"Luna tied me up the other day and took full advantage of my exposed position." Elaria looked distant for a few seconds, recalling that night. "My ankles were above my head and tied up with my wrists. I felt so helpless."

Athrodar raised an eyebrow at her. "Really?"

"I couldn't move my arms or legs, Athrodar. Of course I felt helpless!" Elaria shook her head, slowly smiling at the memory of that night. "Strangely enough, it felt so right. Like I was enjoying it more than I should." She glanced over to her best friend who frowned at her. "What? I was. Normally I'm the one who goes around and ties up helpless women and takes full advantage of it, I'm the dom not the sub." She smirked at him. "Remember when we were in Darkshore a couple decades ago? That barmaid was completely at my will." She licked her lips. "It's a shame humans age so quickly... I would so much love to go back there one day with Luna and we both dominate that poor girl."

"So you're telling me that you, my Captain, best friend and the most sexually dominant woman I know, enjoys being submissive?"

Elaria looked away which made him chuckle, feeling embarrassed that she had told him that. "Now I have told you my secret, so we're even."

"Not the type of secret I was willing to trade mine with, but that's okay." Athrodar leaned back in his chair and laughed lightly some more. "I have no idea what I am going to do. Sylvanas just got her daughter back after being unconcious for two weeks, how do I tell her that her own sister is going against what she fought hard to create?" He glanced over to Elaria who looked over to him. "And this Old God thing. I have to tell her soon."

"I'm just surprised you haven't." Elaria told him quietly, patting the top of his hand. "I will be there with you if you need me to."

"Thanks, but I think I need to tell her on my own." Athrodar stood up and patted Elaria on the shoulder. "Enjoy Luna's domination, I'm sure you'll beg her not to stop when she really gets going."

Elaria buried her head in her hands and groaned. "I wished I didn't tell you now."

Athrodar picked up the report on his way out, making his way to Victoria's tent, taking a deep breath before walking inside only to find Sylvanas was sleeping beside Victoria who had also drifted off to sleep, his Queen holding onto their daughter whilst they both slept. "Cute." He muttered, sitting on the bed behind Sylvanas and placing a hand on her arm, stirring her from her sleep just from his touch. "Don't get up, I'm just here to say I love you."

Sylvanas smiled when Athrodar kissed her cheek, snuggling back up to her daughter and feeling Athrodar lay down behind her, just about fitting the three of them in the bed. "I love you too." She whispered when she felt him wrap an arm around her.

* * *

"What was the report about?"

Athrodar handed the report he recieved yesterday over to Sylvanas, folding his arms and looking over to Elaria who was bracing for the shouting that was sure to come. "I don't believe it's completely good news." He told his Queen.

The second Sylvanas reached the bottom of the report, both Elaria and Athrodar flinched as they saw the Queen's grip tighten on the report, making it crease around her fingers. "Here it comes." The Night Elf whispered to Athrodar.

"Everyone out." Sylvanas said flatly, not placing down the report and keeping her eyes fixed on it. As everyone in the tent stood up, Sylvanas glanced over to Athrodar who was leaving with everyone else. "Not you."

Athrodar smiled a little at Elaria who bowed her head to him before leaving the tent, the King turning around to face his Queen when they were alone. "Look... I know what you're going to say."

"Good. Then gather your rangers and leave for the Isle of Thunder." Sylvanas commanded him.

Athrodar narrowed his eyes and tilted his head at his Queen. "Okay, I'm going to need us to backtrack a little. Why am I going to the Isle of Thunder?"

"Because I need someone I can trust to oversee the campaign there." Sylvanas stood up and placed the report down on the table, walking over to her King and cupping his face in her hands. "I know we don't want to be away from each other and that we are only here to kill the Sha in this place before leaving for good, but I can't step down knowing that the Horde and Alliance are still not working together. Including my sister which stings more than I care to admit."

Athrodar sighed and lowered his head. "There's something else, not to do with that report."

Sylvanas frowned at her King, stepping back a bit. "What is it?"

Athrodar closed his eyes and turned his head away from his Queen as he couldn't tell her whilst facing her. "It's to do with us, our family."

Stepping forward, Sylvanas placed a hand on Athrodar's arm and slowly turned him back around so he was facing her again. "What is it?" She repeated, this time in a lower voice.

* * *

Vareesa looked down at the map in front of her and Jaina, trying make understand the crude drawings on it. "Are you sure your mages know what they're doing? This map looks too small for what we have been up against."

"My mages know what they're doing Vareesa." Jaina said, smiling warmly at the Ranger-General. "How is Rhonin and the boys?"

"Rhonin was excited to be alone with them. Apparently he has a lot of studying for them to do about Northrend." Vareesa smiled too and laughed lightly when she remembered what her sons said before she left. "They were protesting it, but at the end of the day they will learn about the world from either me or their father."

Jaina looked over to a couple of rangers returning to their camp on the western side of Isle of Thunder and running over to Vareesa before whispering to her in Thalassian. "What is it?" The Mage asked, stepping towards Vareesa.

"My brother is here with his company, outside our camp." Vareesa gave Jaina an apologetic look when she began to frown. "I know Varian doesn't want you to work with the Horde, but my brother I hope will change your mind and Varian's."

"I have nothing against the Horde. Baine and I still talk often as well as Vol'jin. If your sister had any intention of keeping us in the loop, she would have visited Theramore over the last few years. Instead her daughter has come by every now and then to talk to me."

Vareesa tilted her head at the Archmage. "Victoria has been to Theramore? When?"

"Not in a while, but that's because we are in Pandaria." Jaina began to smile once more, watching the two rangers leave and head back towards the edge of the camp. "She's a good kid. Anduin asks about her when the days are slow, though only when Varian isn't nearby."

"Really?" Vareesa raised an eyebrow at Jaina and smiled at her when the Archmage began to laugh lightly. "Could he be smitten with the Princess?"

"It's hard to say." Jaina told her, watching in the same direction the two rangers ran off to and spotting Athrodar walk through the camp with his company in tow. "He won't act on whatever he does feel if his father is still angered by the very mention of the Horde around him."

"Is Varian a threat to what my sister has tried to build?" Vareesa asked, looking over to Athrodar and his company who were getting closer.

"I shouldn't think so, Vareesa. He just roams Theramore, brooding to himself and keeping up to date on his daily training." The Archmage bowed her head to Athrodar when he stood under the canopy and next to the table with the map on it. "My King."

"What are you doing here?" Vareesa asked, looking passed him and trying to find her sister and her company, both of which were nowhere to be seen. "And where is Sylvanas?"

"I have been commanded to oversee things here, for both the Alliance and Horde sides." Athrodar bowed his head to Jaina, keeping the mask over half his face up and placing a hand on Vareesa's arm before dragging her away from the rest of the group. Once they were alone, he let out a long sigh and lowered his head a little. "I am also here without Sylvanas because we had a fight. A very, very big one."

Vareesa placed her hand on his arm this time, slowly rubbing it up and down to comfort him. "What happened?" She asked quietly, sounded as sympathetic as she looked.

"I kept a secret from her for half a year that, in all honesty, I should have told her the day I found out." Athrodar looked down at Vareesa who frowned at him, knowing he had to tell her too. "Whilst I was under Arthas' control, I was exposed to a lot of Saronite, more than anyone else in his army as I was the one commanding his troops and building his fortress."

Slowly nodding her head, Vareesa began to understand what he was saying as she had read up about Saronite and its affects to those who were exposed to it for too long. "You're corrupted." She told him, not needing to ask as she knew without him telling her completely. "You broke free from his control years ago though, why have you just found out now?"

"Because I haven't been alive for long, so its affects are just starting to take hold." Athrodar began to pace in front of his sister-in-law, rubbing the back of his neck as he done so. "I told her everything I knew, that our kids _might_ be affected but there's a very high chance they're not. She didn't take this well and practically banished me from camp until we were finished here." He stopped pacing and turned to face his sister once more, pulling down his mask and showing a large cut across his cheek. "She reacted how I expected. There was no apology, nor did I request one. She is furious with me and I am doing as she commanded, keeping my distance until she has calmed down."

"If I know my sister, you might be left alone on this island once we're finished. It takes more than a month or two to calm her down about something that has made her furious." Vareesa patted him on the arm. "Return to camp with me and pull your mask back up. The less people that know about why you're truly here the better."

Doing as he was told, Athrodar pulled his mask back up and followed Vareesa back to the camp, looking down at the map of the Isle of Thunder Jaina was studying. "We are close to infultrating the second level of this place. It's just guarded heavily by the Mogu and Devilsaurs."

Vareesa nodded at the Archmage's update. "Then we best get working. I want to know why this place has suddenly come alive in the last few days and why Vol'jin is so insistent that we come here."


	12. Chapter 12

**A Week Apart**

Victoria slowly walked out of her tent, making her way to her mother's tent and stopping outside it when she heard sobbing coming from inside. She looked around the camp in the dead of night and saw nobody else walking around save for the guards patrolling, continuing her tiny quest and making her way inside the tent. "Mom?"

Sylvanas wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, collecting her tears and looking over her shoulder the best she could to look at Victoria. "What are you doing here, little one? You should be resting."

Victoria saw her mother's bloodshot eyes and the mascara running down from them and decided to ignore her question, making her way towards the Queen some more until she stood directly behind her. "It's been almost a week and you haven't stopped crying whenever you've been alone. Just call him back here, mom. So you can be happy again."

"No." Sylvanas said, shaking her head and hugging herself all in one quick move. "I am furious with him. He kept that secret from me for months after I have told him everything. I don't want to see him right now."

"And yet, you cry out his name when your emotions get the better of you." Victoria sat down beside her mother and took hold of her hand. "Send a messenger to him. Tell him to come back." She pressed her cheek to the top of Sylvanas' head when she rest it on her shoulder. "When was the last time you properly slept? You have had him around to hold you and I know you can't sleep when he's not next to you."

"I haven't really slept." Sylvanas told her softly, deciding to keep her voice low so she didn't risk it wavering. "I have spent the past decade with your father by my side, soothing me and helping me sleep." She closed her eyes and let out a sigh that wobbled as her emotions began to take over again. "I want him back, I really do, it's just he is being punished for keeping a huge secret from me for half a year."

"And in doing so you're punishing yourself, mom." Victoria kissed the top of her mother's head, stroking her hair soon after. "Come back to my tent and sleep beside me, Titans know I need the company since Sera has gone out on patrol for a few days."

Sylvanas nodded her head against her daughter's shoulder. "Thank you. I didn't want to ask just in case you wanted to have your own bed."

"Nonsense." Victoria whispered, hugging her mother tightly. "You are my mother and you're hurting. I will always do what I can to make you feel better when dad isn't around." She stood up and took hold of her mother's hand. "Come on, you look like you could sleep for hours."

"Thank you." Sylvanas said, following her daughter back to her tent. "We are planning to get married for a second time." She told Victoria who had now stopped walking.

"Wh-what?" Victoria stuttered, turning around to face her mother.

Sylvanas smiled at her daughter. "We're planning to get married for a second time." She repeated, watching Victoria begin to smile at her which then made the Queen sad, realising everything that had just happened. "But... I don't know if we will. Not only did he lie to me for months about being okay, I have done the one thing I promised I would never do to him. I have left him on his own on a far away island."

Victoria placed a hand on her mother's arm. "Elaria is with him. They are great together and she will make sure he is okay."

"I hope so." Sylvanas muttered, walking with her daughter once more towards the tent. "I don't want him to feel alone... I just want him to know that I am angry with him and that he should never hide things from me. Especially things that are as big as that."

* * *

Athrodar stood outside his tent in the Isle of Thunder in the Horde camp, rubbing the ring on his finger and looking up at the stars. He wasn't feeling sorry for himself after what he had done, he had apologised profusely to Sylvanas when she was yelling at him. All he could do now was let her calm down by giving her as much space as possible, something that has become very easy since he was banished from the main camp until he was told to come back. What he was doing however was trying to kill as much time as possible until he felt tired, something that was becoming a rarity now that he was away from his family.

"Another sleepless night?" Elaria asked, leaning against a broken stone pillar of what once looked to be a part of a temple.

"Aye." Athrodar looked over to Elaria who had a small smile on her face. "I know what you're going to say, but I can't help it. She doesn't like sleeping alone and I can't sleep when I know she is hurting."

"And you say she won't take you back until she has calmed down?"

Athrodar nodded his head. "Exactly that, yes. I just don't know how long that will be." He let out a long sigh. "Perhaps coming here was a big mistake. My wife and my daughter have both been badly injured and bed ridden, I have been told I am corrupted by an Old God along with Thal'ena which could have been moved down to my children." He looked away from his Captain and back up to the night sky. "We've lost more rangers in this past month than we did during the entire war against the Alliance. Not to mention that several of them had only been giving their life back a few years ago. They had a chance at a second life as a living ranger, only to be killed on some unknown land."

"They knew their role when coming here with us. They could have stepped down from the ranger life once they were brought back to life." Elaria placed a hand on Athrodar's shoulder and squeezed it lightly, grabbing his attention again. "You know we could have stepped down too after the war against the Scourge. But we stayed because we can't do anything else."

"And yet, we both want to retire from this life once we've finished on Pandaria." Athrodar told her, making her laugh lightly. "Do you know what you will do when we return to Windrunner Village?"

"I have no idea." Elaria admitted, wearing a half smile when Athrodar chuckled lightly. "Luna is hoping to become a priest in Silvermoon and help teach new initiates."

"I'm sure a good word from Liadrin could help."

"Thanks." Elaria said, looking up at night sky. "Maybe I could be a fisherman."

"Since when do you fish?" Athrodar asked, making Elaria gasp.

"All the time! You're just never around when I do." Elaria looked away from him. "Luna knows I can fish."

Athrodar rolled his eyes when he saw her pout. "Unbelievable.. Look I'm sorry I didn't know you fish. I'm sure you're great at fishing, so you should take it up when we return home." He began to smile when she slowly turned her head towards him. "Perhaps we could both fish together on set days. To keep our friendship as strong as it already is."

"Tuesdays." Elaria suggested, glancing over to him and noticing his smile. "And no wives."

"Or girlfriends." Athrodar added, glancing over to Elaria now. "Two friends, bonding over fishing."

"Deal." Elaria folded her arms and grinned when Athrodar shook his head with a smile. "You need to get back to bed. We need to go to the Alliance camp tomorrow and I expect us to be shunned by the soldiers, so you need your energy to keep the fighting to a minimum."

Athrodar bowed his head to his Captain and began to walk away, stopping outside his tent and looking over his shoulder to Elaria. "It's not like you to stop a fight before it happens. I would have thought you would want to fight some soldiers."

"I promised Luna I would return to her in one piece. If that means I gotta cut down on my fights with soldiers, then fine." Elaria smiled at Athrodar who laughed lightly once more. "Good night."

"Good night." Athrodar replied, walking into his tent and sitting down on the edge of his empty bed, burying his head in his hands and crying a little. "I'm sorry..." He whispered into his hands, saying nothing more for the rest of the night.

* * *

"Thank you all for coming on such short notice." Sylvanas said as she looked around the command tent they were all gathered in. "There have been rumours that I have to put to rest and I'm sure you will all find it comforting to know the future." She looked down at Victoria who smiled up at her, feeling confident in what she was about to say as she knew her daughter was ready. "I am stepping down as both Warchief and Queen once the campaign in Pandaria is over."

Just as she suspected, the room began to erupt into a plethora of mutterings as everyone who was called to the meeting began to talk to each other, all of them trying to figure out who would be Queen of Stormwind and Warchief of the Horde. "Who will become the Warchief?" Baine asked when nobody else seemed to want to.

"Athrodar and I had been thinking about who would succeed me as Warchief." Sylvanas told them, walking around the table. "We wanted someone who could continue what we have all fought hard to achieve and maintain, a lasting peace between both the Alliance and the Horde and hopefully, when the time is right, uniting both factions into one." She stopped walking and stood opposite both Vol'jin and Baine who sat beside one another. "It took some time, but we both feel you would be perfect to continue what we have done."

Vol'jin blinked rapidly in disbelief, looking over to Baine on his left and then Eitrigg on his right before looking back at Sylvanas who smiled warmly at him. "Me?"

"Yes, Vol'jin. We chose you for two reasons. You have a good relationship with Jaina Proudmoore who isn't here with us, which you can use to get the rest of the humans working with us. You are also someone who we both believe can carry on our legacy as leader of Azeroth should both factions unite." Sylvanas looked down at Victoria who took hold of her hand. "As for Queen of Stormwind, I have bestowed that title upon my daughter who is more than willing to take on the role. Though she will need guidance from you all and I hope you will all give it to her."

"Are... Are you sure about making me Warchief?" Vol'jin asked. "I don't know if I can be as good as you tink I can." The Darkspear Chieftain looked to his peers who were all nodding at him, encouraging the troll to take the role.

"You will be perfect." Sylvanas told him. "This won't take place until we are finished here. Meanwhile, if any of you have any questions, please feel free to ask me." She bowed her head and began to leave the tent, being followed closely behind by Victoria. "You can all leave."

Victoria followed her mother out the command tent and into her personal tent, watching her sit down on the chair behind her table and smiling down at her. "I think you got them talking."

Sylvanas began to take off her armour, shedding the shoulderguards first and then her cloak, rubbing her temple once they fell to the floor. "I should have waited until your father was here."

"He could have been." Victoria told her, sitting on the chair opposite the Queen and holding up her hand when she saw her mother was about to argue. "I know, he's being punished. But I suppose it would be too late if you waited for him to come back."

"No doubt this is going to spread like wildfire. I'm sure your father will know within the next few hours as envoys are undoubtably being sent out as we speak." Sylvanas looked over to her daughter who looked happy that she was officially known as the next Queen of Stormwind, reaching over the table and offering her a hand. "I knew this day would come. I just didn't think it would be so soon." She began to smile a little when Victoria looked overjoyed at the announcement. "I was hoping to get a couple more decades out as Queen of Stormwind a few years ago, but now that we're alive and our family has grown? My heart now lies with your brother and sister, to keep them safe and to watch them grow up."

"I understand." Victoria said, taking hold of her hand. "I'm doing this to keep your legacy in Stormwind, not to avoid our family." She smiled warmly at Sylvanas. "I will come and visit whenever I can and I'm sure you will come by and visit too."

Sylvanas' smile saddened, looking down at their hands that were on the table. "I miss your father already after a week." She began to laugh lightly, shaking her head. "Listen to me. I've been on this planet for over two centuries, closing in on three and being a week away from your father feels like an eternity."

Victoria knew how she wanted to respond to that, but she was running the risk of repeating what she had been telling her mother for the past week. Instead she just squeezed Sylvanas' hand and looked up at her. "I am here with you, and if Liadrin gives me the all clear tomorrow, I can leave my tent full time instead of every few hours to walk about."

"Thank you, honey." Sylvanas said, smiling and rubbing a thumb over her daughter's knuckles. "Perhaps I might be distracted if I spend more time with you."

"Mind if I have a word with you?" Tyrande said having entered the tent without them noticing. "Alone." She added, glancing down at Victoria.

Sylvanas nodded at her daughter who looked over to her. "Go, I'll be fine."

Tyrande stepped aside when Victoira stood up from her chair and left the tent. "How serious are you about stepping down?" The High Priestess asked.

"What do you mean?" Sylvanas asked in response, sitting back in her chair. "I meant every word I said. Vol'jin will be taking over from me as Warchief whilst my daughter will be the new Queen of Stormwind."

Tyrande walked forward and sat down in the chair Victoria was in moments ago. "Then I have to ask you one thing. Can you promise me that the Alliance won't be shunned and put down by the new Warchief or your daughter?

"I can't speak entirely for Vol'jin, though I chose him for a reason. He will make sure that the Alliance and Horde will work together and build strong bonds. I know he will." Sylvanas looked passed the High Priestess and towards the entrance of her tent, catching a glimpse of her daughter who was talking to Sera who herself had just returned to the camp. "As for my daughter, I am almost certain that she will build strong relationships with the Alliance. She has told me about how often she had gone to Theramore whilst she went exploring Kalimdor, building what could be known as a loose friendship with Jaina Proudmoore."

Tyrande had a small smile on her face, tapping her fingers on the desk in front of her. "Many of my Sentinals have told me that your husband isn't in camp."

"Was it that obvious?" Sylvanas asked, reaching for a nearby goblet of water.

"Well they aren't as calm and as happy as usual which is the result of his Captain constantly harassing them." The High Priestess chuckled lightly. "Though they aren't complaining because they actually enjoy it."

Sylvanas chuckled along with the High Priestess. "I can understand that." Her gaze fell to her hands under the desk. "Yes, Athrodar isn't here. We had a fight and I have sent him to the Isle of Thunder with Lor'Themar and Jaina."

Tyrande tilted her head slightly whilst looking at the Queen who had a sadness in her eyes that she couldn't mistake for anything else. "May I ask what it was about? The fight?"

"He kept a big secret from me." Sylvanas told her, glancing up at Tyrande who looked to be waiting for more information. "He was affected by the Old God in Northrend due to handling Saronite or something for a year? I don't remember exactly what he said, but he said it could have affected our children too."

Tyrande began to smile, looking down and away from Sylvanas. "If you can't remember the details of why you're angry at someone, are you really that angry? Or are you just upset that someone you love has kept a secret from you." Tyrande smiled a little wider when she saw Sylvanas look away from her. "Take some advice from someone who has been around for far too long. Holding a grudge on someone you love isn't worth it when you don't remember the exact details. Talk to him and move past whatever this is, you will be happier in the long run." This time, she saw Sylvanas look away and consider what she just said, standing up from her chair and slowly backing out the tent. "I will take what you said into consideration too." She told Sylvanas, bowing her head and leaving the tent.

* * *

Athrodar stood on a ledge beside his Captain and looked over the two factions below who were fighting the latest enemy in the long list they had faced on this new land already. "The Mogu, was it?" He asked, glancing over to Elaria who sat beside him, keeping her head up with her fist and letting out a long sigh of boredom.

"Yes, they're the Mogu. An ancient race that we - this group - aren't allowed to fight because you are overlooking those two group down there." Elaria looked up at Athrodar and glared at him, making him grin in return. "Some days I wonder why I agreed to be your Captain."

"Because you need something to do and being my friend as well as Captain means doing boring shit like this." Athrodar nudged her with his foot to get her attention. "Besides, we are leaving this life behind soon remember? A couple more weeks of this, maybe a month and you have the freedom to do whatever you want. Within reason."

"That's true..." Elaria muttered, hugging her knees into her chest and looking down at the two groups below them. "Luna wants to explore a few places the first six months we were off. I'm not really looking forward to it, but she seems excited as she hasn't been anywhere outside Stormwind for the last few years or Ironforge and the Exodar before hand." The Night Elf shrugged her shoulders. "I can understand her being excited."

"I'm sure you'll enjoy it after a few days of being alone with her." Athrodar glanced down to his Captain who seemed to be thinking about it. "You'll have six months of constant sex with her without needing to worry about either Sylvanas or I asking you for favours."

"That is a very good point..." Elaria looked back towards the rest of their company who all looked just as bored as she did. "You need to give us something to do." She told Athrodar.

"When they break through the Mogu lines and push up to the second level, I will allow you all to join in on the fight." Athrodar glanced down to his Captain who went back to watching the fight below. "Just don't cause any problems between them. We need them to work together like they did during Icecrown."

Elaria stood up and stretched the moment the last Mogu was killed, watching both Alliance and Horde celebrate before looking back to Athrodar who was making his way back to camp. "What, you're not even going to celebrate with them? Hepl them push to the second level?"

"You can. I'm going back to camp and drawing up a letter for Sylvanas, giving her a progress report about this island."

The Night Elf shook her head and watched him walk away. "I know that's not what you're doing..." She whispered to herself, noticing the rest of Athrodar's company looking over to her for their next instruction. "Come on, let's head down there and see if we can help."

Whilst his Captain led his company towards the Alliance and Horde, Athrodar returned to camp and his tent, focused on writing the letter to Sylvanas informing her about the progress they had made here. As he sat down behind his desk, he noticed a few things were out of place, notibly the small pile of reports he had his scouts give him were not in the same place he normally kept them, as well as gaining an extra sword and bow on his weapons rack. "Hello?" He called out, looking around his tent to try and find someone and hoping it would answer his unasked questions. "Is someone else in here?"

He made his way to the second half of his tent, pulling back the flaps and finding Sylvanas sitting at the bedside desk, looking up at him. "I haven't forgiven you." She said before he could say a word. "I am hurt about what you did and there is no excuse that can change how I feel about this all." She stood up when Athrodar began to make his way towards her slowly. "I am still angry with you and I mean it when I say I have not forgiven -"

Athrodar cut his Queen off when he placed both hands on either side of her face and pulled her in for a long, deep kiss, making her moan in his mouth and feeling her wrap her arms around him. "It's okay. I don't expect you to forgive me." He whispered when they pulled away, being kissed hard on the lips almost immediately after.

"I had missed you, so much." Sylvanas whispered, pressing her ear to his chest. "A week is too long away from you."

"I missed you too." Athrodar whispered to her, closing his eyes when he hugged his Queen tightly. "Why are you here? Not that I don't mind you being here, I love that you've visited, but why are you here?"

"Tyrande spoke to me, after I told everyone that we are stepping down once we've finished here on Pandaria." Sylvanas smiled at him when she saw him frown. "Yes I told them, but that's not the reason I'm here. I am here because Tyrande, in all of her infinite wisdom, told me to not hold a grudge on someone I love if I can't remember all the details of why I'm angry at them." She placed a gentle hand on his cheek and had a brighter smile on her face when she saw him close his eyes and lean into her hand. "So I am here to say, I love you and I have partially forgiven you, but I am still angry with you."

Athrodar pulled down his Queen's hood and began to lightly stroke her hair after pulling her in for another hug. "Stay here, just for the night. We don't have to do anything, I just want, no _need_, someone to sleep beside tonight."

"Glad to hear that." Sylvanas told him, pulling back a little and looking up at him. "Because I too need someone to sleep beside tonight. Preferably someone who will hold me close whilst we both sleep." She began to walk her fingers up his chest. "Someone who will make me feel safe at night."

Athrodar glanced behind him and noticed his bed was in touching distance, grinning and picking up his Queen shortly after and feeling her wrap her legs around his waist. "Then don't look any further, my love. We don't have to do anything other than lay beside each other and sleep, all whilst I hold you tightly in my grip."

Sylvanas giggled when she was placed down in the bed and had Athrodar climb on top of her. "Thank the Titans I have found you then." She whispered before having him leave a trail of kisses down her neck and across her stomach, having her tunic be lifted up and removed from her body. "Just take care of your Queen and she will make sure you are well looked after."

* * *

**Auther Notes:**** I am trying my best to release the next few chapters on the usual schedule of Mondays and Fridays, so if I miss a day I am wholeheartedly sorry as I am trying to write these quickly whilst trying to keep a story flow and mkaing sure it makes sense. As I said before, I'm not enjoying the task of writing the Pandaria chapters as much as I should be, it's just that I have my mind set on the Legion chapters more and more and it's becoming difficult to keep on track with what this part of the story should be.**

**I apologise once more that these aren't as frequent as they could be and I will try my best to get the next one out sometime Friday.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Courtyard of Thunder**

Sylvanas woke up to the feeling of comfort as her King remained sleeping behind her the entire night. Shifting around a little, she turned to face her King and watched him sleep peacefully beside her and smiled at him as he didn't seem to wake from her movements. "I don't want to leave." She whispered to him, though it was all for nothing as her King was still fast asleep in front of her. Sylvanas didn't mind though as she got to watch him in the peaceful state for as long as possible before he did wake up, which she was hoping wouldn't be for a long time, especially after she took hold of his arm and moved it around her so she could shuffle a little closer to him.

This went on for close to half an hour before Athrodar began to wake up, giving Sylvanas enough time to reflect on the last week and to decide whether or not she would take her King back with her to Pandaria or to keep him in the Isle of Thunder until Lor'Themar or Jaina had finished here. "Good morning." Athrodar whispered to his Queen, stirring her out of her deep thought when he kissed her on the forehead. "How did you sleep?"

Sylvanas smiled and snuggled into her King, burying her head into his chest. "Much better than the last week, you?"

"Definately better now that you're here. I couldn't sleep on my own, not after sharing a bed with you for so many years." Athrodar kissed the top of his Queen's head as it remained buried in his chest, closing his eyes and holding onto Sylvanas for as long as he could before she had to inevitably leave. "I'm sorry about keeping my Old God corruption from you. I should have told you the moment I found out."

"Yes you should have." Sylvanas muttered, pulling back a little to look at her King. "Why didn't you?"

"I was scared." Athrodar told her quietly, looking down at her hand and kissing the top of it when he raised it to his lips. "I was scared you might push me away if I told you I was corrupted by an Old God, that you might keep our children away from me."

"I would never do that." Sylvanas told him, placing a hand on his cheek. "You know I would help you no matter what it is." She leaned forward and kissed him lightly, pressing her head against his and closing her eyes. "I will never take our children away from you, not unless they are in danger." She stroked his cheek with her thumb. "And I don't believe you will ever put them in danger."

Athrodar looked into his Queen's eyes when she opened them, both of them staring at each other for what felt like an eternity before he eventually asked a question that crossed his mind. "When are you going back?"

"You sound like you want me to go back." Sylvanas whispered to him, keeping her focus on his eyes. "Do you want me to go back?"

Athrodar rolled his Queen onto her back and then rolled on top of her, planting a kiss on her nose when she smiled up at him. "No. I want you to stay here with me. A week away from each other is too long and you know it." He brushed several strands of golden hair behind his Queen's ear, recieving a kiss from her when his guard dropped a little, taking in her beauty as he still found it difficult to believe she was alive, even after having two children of their own.

"I want to, I really do." Sylvanas sighed and lowered her eyes from his. "But I can't. I need to go back to the main camp soon as nobody knows I have left." She smiled a little. "I snuck away to be with my King." Sylvanas hooked an arm around his neck and flipped him onto his back, climbing on top of her king and grinning down at him as she sat on his lap. "And we both realised we couldn't be away from each other for more than a week."

Stroking his hand over her stomach, Athrodar grinned at Sylvanas who closed her eyes at his touch. "You have a very lucky King. To have a Queen who has a body like yours, paired with an undying love for each other as well as three beautiful children? I'm sure there are a few who envy the two of them."

Sylvanas reached down to Athrodar's hand and moved it up to her right breast, smiling down at her King who moved his other hand to her left breast. "You know, we have yet to enjoy our time together outside of sleeping in each other's arms." Sylvanas walked her fingers up Athrodar's chest, stopping on his neck and curling her fingers around it the best she could. "What do you say? A nice, long leaving present that I get to take charge of?"

Athrodar grinned and moved his hands to his Queen's waist. "Be as hard or as gentle as you want, my love. You are always most comfortable when you take charge."

* * *

"You don't think this is some sort of test, do you?"

Sera smiled and shook her head. "No, I don't think so. Your mother would have told you she was going to test you. Or at the very least me, so I would know what she wants you to do." The Captain looked around the camp and saw business going on as it had for the last few weeks, like they were waiting for the next Sha spotting. "So the Shado-Pan have informed me that they have cleared the Dread Wastes and it is now being rebuilt into something inhabitable."

"Good. That means everything we did was for something." Victoria looked over to Sera who was still looking around the camp. "Do you think she went home? To spend time with my brother and sister?"

Sera shook her head. "I shouldn't think so. I don't think she will want to return home without your father." That was when something clicked in the Night Elf's head, making both her ears and eyebrows perk up and looking over to Victoria who frowned at her. "I think I know where she is."

"Where?" Victoria asked, tilting her head a little.

"I was with your father." Sylvanas told them, making both Victoria and Sera spin around to face her. "I explained everything to him and he has agreed to stay on the Isle of Thunder until they are finished with the Mogu there." She looked at only her daughter this time and smiled at her. "We have also agreed that I will visit him when I feel down, something I will try to distract myself from as much as possible so he isn't distracted by me coming to visit him every hour."

Victoria took hold of her mother's hand who pulled her in for a hug. "I'm happy you have forgiven dad." The Princess whispered. "And I'm happy you are now happy. The last week has been painful to watch you look so sad. So to hear that you have visited dad and probably made up for lost time, albeit something I don't want to think about, it makes me happy to know that you are happy."

Before Sylvanas could respond to her daughter, she was interrupted by Viraleth who rode back to camp, returning from the two week long scouting trip she was assigned to try and find the Sha of Anger. "My Lady." She said the moment she made her way to the Queen. "We have found the Sha, near the Temple of the White Tiger."

Sylvanas pulled back from her daughter and stroked a thumb across her cheek. "Stay here. You're still too weak to fight." She looked up to Sera who nodded her head in agreement. "Don't let her leave this camp until I return."

"I won't." Sera said, glancing over to Victoria who sighed the moment Sylvanas began to leave. "She's just looking out for you. You were asleep for two weeks and had to continue rest for another week."

"I guess so..." Victoria muttered, watching Sylvanas gather her company and a few other companies before leaving the camp, following Viraleth towards the Sha sighting. "I just feel like I could do something to help."

"You can help me." Liadrin said, overhearing the Princess. "I need more hands to help me tend to the injured as the handful of paladins and priests here are being taken away for other missions, so I'm a bit short staffed." The Paladin looked over to Sera who stood beside the Princess. "You can help too. I just hope you're better than your sister."

Sera laughed and followed Liadrin to the triarge tent. "She was always more energetic than gentle handed, so it shouldn't be difficult."

Arriving in the tent, Victoria looked around at the injured and found someone she wasn't expecting at all. "Tanadia?"

The little priestess looked over to her sister and smiled brightly at her. "Victoria!" She cried, running over and hugging her. "I was going to come see you soon!"

Victoria returned the hug, though she was more concerned than overjoyed that her sister was in camp. "What... What are you doing here? This is no place for someone your age."

"Aunty Li Li said I could learn a lot here when it comes to healing, so I got a portal with the rest of the class." Tanadia looked up at Victoria who was narrowing her eyes at Liadrin. "Mama knows I am here, honest. Li Li said she said it was okay."

"And somehow, I find that hard to believe." Victoria whispered to Sera who now hugged the young priestess. "Well, we are both here to help, Sera and I." She told her sister. "So wherever you need us, just place us there and we will help the best we can."

"Good, because I need you both with your rangers." Liadrin looked over to Victoria. "They suffered the same sort of injury as you did, just not in the same place. They are restless and want to get out into the fight as soon as possible. I'm hoping their Princess and Captain will talk some sense into them, seeing as they too are not seeing much action at the moment."

Victoria made her way over to Cyndia who looked less than enthusiastic to be stuck in bed. "Can you believe this? I've been a ranger for almost two centuries and I am being forced to stay in this tent until I've fully recovered." Cyndia looked over to Liadrin. "Which I did, two days ago!" She yelled, catching her attention.

"Then put pressure on your leg for more than ten minutes without collapsing." Liadrin dared her, folding her arms and watching the Captain stand up from her bed, only to stumble forward a little and be held up by Victoria. "I thought so."

"Easy for her to say... She wasn't in that hive." Cyndia muttered, looking up at Victoria who sat down on the side of her bed when she laid back down on it. "She has spent most of her time healing people, not being in the thick of things."

Victoria placed her hand over Cyndia's, looking down at it when Cyndia took hold of it and squeezed it lightly, smiling a little and squeezing her hand in return. "No, she wasn't in the hive." Her gaze moved up to Cyndia's face and saw her looking at their hands too. "How do you feel?"

"Much better than I look, that's for sure. And much better than _she_ tells me." Cyndia glared at Liadrin who rolled her eyes, albeit not looking at the ranger.

"Again, if you can stand up for more than ten minutes without feeling weak in the knees, I'll let you go." Liadrin told her, walking over to Tanadia and helping her with her patient.

"She is right, you know." Victoria whispered to the Captain. "It's annoying to be told to stay in bed, trust me. If I wasn't recovering for two weeks prior to waking up, I would be feeling what you are feeling right now." She looked over to Liadrin who was teaching Tanadia a new spell. "But despite being frustrating, the Highlord does know what she's on about, so listen to what she has to say."

* * *

"You are in a much better mood than what I saw you in yesterday." Vareesa said, standing beside Athrodar who was watching the Horde clear the courtyard to what they believe is the Throne of Thunder, a fortress for the Mogu king known as Lei Shen. "If the whispers I heard are to be believed, my sister was in camp last night visiting her King."

"Let's just say we have kissed and made up." Athrodar grinned at what he had just said. "And more if you wanted a bit more details."

Vareesa rolled her eyes. "She's my sister. Of course I didn't want any more details." She looked over to Athrodar who was still grinning, nudging him with her elbow. "And you're my brother-in-law, so of course I want you both to be happy. If that means you two bumped uglies, then great. Because I don't like knowing that Sylvanas is angry, not after everything you two have been through."

Athrodar glanced over to Vareesa who was still looking up at him, deciding to change subject to one that is more important. "Are the Humans working with the Sin'dorei? Or are we going to have a problem when we get into a real fight?"

"Jaina is trying her best, Athrodar." Vareesa told him, looking over to the Archmage who was standing not too far from them, though not close enough to hear them. "You and my sister didn't exactly give the humans following Varian a reason to trust the Horde. Even the soldiers born in Theramore don't trust the Horde, despite Jaina wanting to be friends with the rest of the Horde."

"So if I went over to her right now, she would be friendly?" Athrodar asked, watching Vareesa wince at the question. "Or not."

"Don't take it personally, she is just getting one side of the story from Varien on what happened at Stormwind. She won't be as friendly to you as I am." Vareesa smiled up at Athrodar when he looked away. "Just a warning."

"Then I'll take my chances." Athrodar said, leaving Vareesa on her own though she didn't mind, she got to watch Athrodar try and possibly fail to talk to Jaina from afar. "Lady Proudmore?" He said, standing behind the Archmage and grabbing her attention the second he spoke. "We haven't had much chance to speak since I arrived on this island... Or at all if I'm honest."

"My King." Jaina said formally and out of respect for him, bowing her head slightly at the elf. "No, we haven't had much chance to speak to each other, have we? How's your daughter?"

"What one?" Athrodar asked in response, wearing a half smile on his face when Jaina looked away. "It's okay, I figured you meant Victoria." He looked forward and towards the Horde. "She is recovering, though I suspect she is giving her healers a tough time."

"And her Nightsaber... Snow is it? I heard what happened to him. She must be worrying about him more than herself."

Athrodar narrowed his eyes at the Archmage. "She is..."

Jaina glanced over to him and smiled a little. "Your wondering why I am asking about your daughter more than you and your Queen, or the rest of your family." She watched Athrodar nod and laughed lightly, not knowing Athrodar didn't know. "Victoria spent some time in Theramore whilst she was travelling Kalimdor. She is a nice girl, I can see why Sylvanas dotes on her so much. She is very difficult to hate, especially when she is so good with those younger than her." Jaina continued to smile and look down at her feet. "I know Anduin likes her."

Athrodar raised an eyebrow at the comment. "What are you saying?"

Jaina laughed lightly at how oblivious the King was. "Don't be surprised if, over the next few years, Anduin tries to get closer to your daughter." The Archmage smiled at Athrodar who was now taking in that piece of information. "He asked about her when she wasn't in Theramore, wanting to know when she was coming back and if I heard anything about her. It's quite cute actually."

"I will have to ask her about Anduin when I next see her." Athrodar said, glancing over his shoulder and towards Vareesa who was watching them intently. "Do you think you can work with the Horde if it comes down to it?" He asked when the conversation began to die out.

"If you're asking if I personally can, then yes. But the other humans I am here with? I can't answer for them but I don't think so unless it's truly necessary." The Archmage looked over to Athrodar who looked over to the Horde troops. "I'm sorry, that's the best I can do."

Athrodar nodded his head slowly. "That's okay... I expected just as much, I can't blame them." He looked behind him once more and saw Elaria talking to Vareesa and deep down knowing he had to go back there and save his sister-in-law. "Thank you for the talk, I hope we can continue this in the near future, but for now I have to save Vareesa from my Captain."

Jaina laughed lightly and nodded her head in understanding, looking back to the Ranger-General who was fighting hard to keep Elaria off her. "Go. I'm sure she will be grateful that you have saved her from the Night Elf that has tried the same with me and a few of my mages."

Athrodar laughed and bowed his head to the Archmage. "I apologise for that, she is difficult to tame but a very loyal friend."


	14. Chapter 14

**Temple of the White Tiger**

Sylvanas arrived at the Temple of the White Tiger with Viraleth and two full companies of rangers outside of their own, amassing to four companies in total that were now standing outside the sacred Pandaren building. "It's quiet." The Queen whispered to her Ranger-General who then nodded in agreement. "You're certain you spotted the Sha here?"

"One hundred percent, my Lady." Viraleth whispered to her, nocking an arrow in place and taking lead of their group that began to enter the temple. "Perhaps it's inside."

"I hope not." Sylvanas muttered, looking back to Alina who was in charge of the third company. "Send back some messengers to camp, tell them to prepare to move out to the Temple of the White Tiger and make sure my daughter isn't coming."

Alina bowed her head and went to find her fastest riders to send back to camp, in the meantime however Viraleth had pushed forward into the temple with her company and set about finding any signs of the Sha and the Pandaren inside, all of which became easy when she found bodies of trainees as well as Sha essence around them. "Sylvanas!" She yelled.

Sylvanas came running to her Ranger-General after hearing Viraleth yell her name, a rarity even for Viraleth who was close to her, looking down at the bodies of the Pandaren trainees. "This is the right place." Sylvanas whispered, nocking an arrow in place too and commanding her company forward by nodding her head towards the next room.

"What do you think killed them?" Viraleth asked her Queen, looking down at the fallen Pandaren. "They don't look like they were killed by the Sha. They don't have the markings the other victims had."

Sylvanas crouched down beside one of the trainees and began to inspect their body, noticing they had a broken neck and a broken arm. "Check the other one." She told Viraleth, looking her trainee up and down for any more signs on what could have happened.

"This one has a broken neck, leg and what looks like a couple fractured fingers." Viraleth looked over to Sylvanas who was still inspecting her trainee. "What about yours?"

"The same with the neck, but a broken arm not a leg." Sylvanas stood up and frowned at the two bodies. "They couldn't have both broken each other's necks. Something else must have done this."

"The Sha have been known to take control of the fallen and the living. Perhaps it took control of one of these and killed the other?"

Sylvanas nodded. "Maybe." She looked over to the final members of their four company group move into the next room. "I'm sure we'll get our answers further into the temple. Though I don't think I'm going to like it."

Viraleth followed Sylvanas into the next room, deciding to address the elephant in the room when their companies began to move out towards the third room. "So where's Athrodar? I have been away for two weeks so I'm not up to date on the goings on in camp."

"We had a fight. Not like the little ones we had in the past because he was going into dangerous situations."

"They weren't really fights though." Viraleth said, noticing Sylvanas raise an eyebrow at her. "What? They weren't. You were terrified with losing him, so you yelled at and punished him for doing such risky moves. And because you almost did lose him when he was taking on the Wildhammer Dwarves alone, you told him you were furious when in actual fact, you were scared."

Sylvanas just stared at her Ranger-General, shocked she had just hit the nail on the head perfectly and finding no words to argue her point. "Okay, so maybe I was terrified of losing him after spending years trying to get him. But this one was different."

"How so? Why isn't he here?"

"He, apparently, is corrupted by the Old God Yog'Saron due to his extended amount of time in Icecrown. This has only taken affect recently which is what triggered his visions." Sylvanas sighed and kicked her foot back and forth. "He kept this from me for six months, which wouldn't be too bad if he didn't say our children could be affected too."

"And are they?" Viraleth asked, more concerned for the little ones than anything else.

"According to the ten different Priests and Paladins I've had look at them, they are not corrupted, no."

Viraleth now tilted her head at her Queen. "So why isn't he here?"

"Because he kept a big secret like that from me for half a year." Sylvanas saw Viraleth's head was still tilted, rolling her eyes at the Ranger-General. "I have spoken to him since, so don't look at me like that. We kissed and made up and then had some fun, but he is on the Isle of Thunder now to keep the peace between the Alliance and Horde forces located there."

"And you think he can do that?" Viraleth now asked, smirking at her Queen. "He can barely keep peace between Elaria and whomever she has lusted over that day."

"He has yet to disappoint me. He may keep big secrets from me, but he has never disappointed me." Sylvanas smiled a little, looking over to her company of rangers once more. "He can be a bit foolish sometimes, but I guess that's a part of his charm. I can't see us anywhere else but with each other, even if the mother of his first wants different."

"I suspect you two will be attatched to each other's hips for many centuries to come when we're finished here and you're back home." Viraleth smiled at the idea and looked over to Sylvanas who was still smiling, though this time it was because of what Viraleth said. "And I couldn't be happier for you, my Lady. You deserve some joy and time away from war, something that is a rarity in our line of work."

"It is..." Sylvanas said quietly, looking over to the next room. "Let's go."

* * *

"The doors are sealed, we will need siege engines just to break them open."

Athrodar nodded his head in agreement to Lor'Themar's assessment, looking over to Jaina and Vareesa who were also agreeing with the Regent Lord. "We will have to go back and get some, won't we?"

"I'll go!" Elaria exclaimed, looking excited already with the prospect of leaving the Isle of Thunder, despite nobody giving her the all clear.

"How about we send someone who won't get distracted." Vareesa suggested, glancing over to Elaria who gasped and glared at her. "After all, every second counts and I don't trust you with going there and coming back with no distractions."

"I hate to say it, but I agree." Athrodar said, looking over to Elaria who now looked hurt more than angry. "She makes a good point with the distractions, plus I need you here, keeping my company in check as their Captain."

"Ahh damn it. You had to bring up my duties as your Captain." Elaria looked away and pouted, annoyed now that Athrodar pulled the Captain card. "Fine... I'll stay here."

"I could go back." Vareesa offered. "It gives me a chance to speak to my sister and perhaps persuade her to give us siege engines a lot quicker than the rest of you." She caught a glimpse of Athrodar's raised eyebrow. "Maybe not you, but still just as fast."

"Then it's settled. Vareesa will go back whilst we try to soften up more of their defences should they come out here." Lor'Themar was about to dismiss everyone from the meeting when a messenger arrived at camp carrying a message that the Regent Lord read through quickly before glancing up to Athrodar. "Thank you." He said to the messenger who quickly left.

"What is it?" Ranger-General Halduron asked.

"It appears our Warchief plans to step down from both Queen of Stormwind AND as Warchief." The entire meeting looked over to Athrodar who had a small half smile on his face. "Care to enlighten us a bit more? Who will take over?"

Athrodar looked around at all the faces of those who were present at the meeting, already knowing Elaria knew this was coming and suspecting Vareesa knew too, although he had never discussed this with her. "If all goes to plan, the next Warchief will be Vol'jin and the new Queen of Stormwind will be our daughter Victoria."

"And what will you and Sylvanas be doing?" Jaina asked, undoubtably so she could inform Varian.

"Retiring to Windrunner Village with the rest of our family." Athrodar looked over to Lor'Themar. "To find some peace and quiet in our lives, away from war."

The Regent Lord placed a hand over his heart and bowed his head. "Sylvanas and her family are always welcome in our lands, after all she has done for us. We will make sure there will be little to no conflict in your lives or your families should you stay in Quel'Thalas. Unless you seek it, of course."

"We thank you, Theron. Sylvanas won't forget that." Athrodar now looked over to Vareesa who was smiling and looking off into the distance, no doubt picturing the quiet life her sister now craved. "We will welcome visitors of course, so long as they don't cause problems."

Vareesa just nodded to her brother-in-law when she figured he was talking to her, not saying a word in response until she decided to change the subject for the time being. "I best head back. We won't get those siege engines with me standing here."

Athrodar watched her begin to leave, taking hold of her wrist and seeing the Windrunner resolve begin to fade away as she became too happy for her emotions, pulling his sister-in-law in for a quick hug and whispering to her in Thalassian in the process. "_Cry on the way back to the main camp. Be happy for your sister away from these people where you're most comfortable." _He saw Vareesa was about to argue when he pulled back to look at her, interrupting her before she could. "_In some ways you're very much like your sister, so I know when you're feeling emotional. Go now before this conversation attracts too much attention."_

When Vareesa began to leave again, Jaina had her turn to speak up. "Why Vol'jin? I'm surprised she didn't make your daughter Warchief as well as the new Queen of Stormwind."

"Because we believe Vol'jin would be better at keeping the peace between the Alliance and the Horde more than our daughter, who would rather be Queen of Stormwind anyway." Athrodar looked over to Jaina who had asked the question. "She wants to be Queen as well, not Warchief, so that also comes into play." He looked over to the Regent Lord who was watching their conversation in silence. "She will need help, which I'm hoping you can all give her should she ask, though I don't suspect it will be a common thing."

"Well, then I look forward to working with her." Jaina said with a smile. "For now, we have to work on getting into this fortress and dealing with whatever is bringing back the Mogu."

"And let's hope it's not Lei Shen. I don't think we have the numbers here to deal with the 'Thunder God'. At least that's what the Pandaren called him." Athrodar looked over to the entrance to the Throne of Thunder. "This could be a long siege."

* * *

Victoria sat in front of Snow who was laying down in front of her, head resting on her lap as she gently stroked his nose. "How are you my baby? Your leg looks healed now compared to when I first saw it." She smiled and kissed the space between his eyes, pressing her ear to the top of his head and listening to him purr. "Just a few more weeks and we can run about as much as you'd like."

Sera looked over to Victoria from the bath she was soaking in, smiling at how much love she was giving Snow after everything they had been through. "I don't mean to interrupt you, my Lady, but you did promise to join me in here."

"That is a good point." Victoria said, kissing Snow on the nose before standing up and shedding the bathrobe wrapped around her, walking towards Sera, climbing in the bath and sitting down in front of her Captain who wrapped her arms around the Princess. "This is nice." She whispered, leaning back into her Captain and looking over to Snow who was watching them. "If only this was big enough for him. I'm sure he would join the second I told him to."

Sera stroked Victoria's hair whilst cupping water in her hands to pour it over her head, washing her Princess whilst they both sat in the bath. "You reallly try to do everything with him involved, don't you?" She asked, smiling at the love Victoria clearly felt for her Nightsaber.

"I do, yes. He's my little Snow who doesn't want to do things on his own." Victoria reached a hand over to Snow who limped his way towards her, rubbing his head over her wet hand and not caring in the slightest as he just wanted to be as close to Victoria as he could. "See? He hates being alone."

"He did sleep on your bed whilst you were recovering." Sera told her, starting to wash the Princess' hair once it was wet enough. "He constantly kept watch over you and occasionally growled at Liadrin whenever she tried to examine you."

Victoria smiled and placed a hand on Snow's nose, making him purr and keeping it there for the rest of her time in the bath. "He was protecting me." She whispered, closing her eyes when Sera began to massage her scalp. "This feels really nice."

"Good." Sera whispered to her, making sure to be gentle around her scar. "This looks to be getting better, just like Liadrin said it would. Give it a month and it will barely be noticeable, unless you're going out of your way to find it."

Victoria continued to smile, keeping her attention on Snow whilst Sera washed her hair. "Once I'm fully fit and ready to go back out there, I will try to convince Sylvanas to send me to the Isle of Thunder so Athrodar can come back to her. I know their being apart is eating them up inside so if I can help by trading places with him, I will do so immediately."

"And I will follow you, my Lady." Sera told her, kissing her on the shoulder as she began to wash her body, letting the soap in her hair soak. "I can't leave the woman I love on an island alone."

There was a long silence between the two of them with Sera only just realising what she had said and knowing that the longer she let the silence continue, the harder it was to take back what she said. But no matter how hard she tried to speak, her mouth wouldn't let out a single noise which infuriated her. "We've never said that to each other." She whispered, glancing back to her Captain who looked terrified on what she had said. "Do you really?"

"I... I..." Sera's gaze fell away from the back of Victoria's head and down to the water of the bath they were sitting in.

Victoria began to turn her body around so she was facing Sera, sitting up on her knees in the bath and looking at her Captain. "Sera." She said, making the Night Elf look up at her. "Do you really love me?" She asked again.

"I do." Sera replied in a voice so quiet that the Princess almost didn't hear her.

Victoria looked down into the water to take in this new feeling she had. She had said several times in the past that she loved Viraleth, but somehow this felt more real for the Princess than that. "Sera I..." She began to speak her mind but stopped when she looked up her Captain who looked just as scared as she did when she first let it slip that she loved her. Knowing she had to distract her Captain from what was certainly bad thoughts, she moved forward and kissed her softly on the lips, pulling away to look at her and stroking her cheek with her fingers. "I love you too. I'm not saying that to make this less awkward, you have protected me for years now, looked after me when I was injured and lifted my spirits whenever I felt down." Victoria kissed her again, only this time Sera returned the kiss and they both became consumed by it.

Sera brushed her hands through the golden hair of her Princess, having the kiss consume her completely and focussing on only Victoria who was leaning her whole body on the Captain. "If we plan to do anything more, we should get out the bath and into your bed." She told Victoria, gazing into her eyes. "And I really want to do more with you."

Victoria giggled and nodded her head. "Okay." They both climbed out of the bath at more or less the same time, only Sera picked up the Princess in her arms as she was bigger and stronger than Victoria and carried her to the nearby bed. "Romantic." She whispered when Sera placed her down on the bed and straddled her hips. "I want you to be my General when we return to Stormwind and I'm named Queen." Victoria told Sera when she leaned down to kiss her. "Will you accept?"

Sera smiled and nodded her head in agreement to the offer. "I would love to be your General, my Lady." She told her, recieving a kiss in response to her acceptance. "Being by your side, whether it's as someone you love or as your General, it doesn't matter. I will always be here for you."

Victoria let out a quiet moan of pleasure when Sera began to kiss down her chest, grinning and placing her hand on the back of her Captain's head whilst she continued to kiss a trail down to her stomach and then a bit lower. "Make me squirm, Sera. Make me scream out your name."

"With pleasure, my Lady." Sera whispered before fastening her mouth to Victoria's lips and pushing her tongue inside her.

* * *

"Some of these are children." Viraleth told Sylvanas who was looking over a room full of dead Pandaren. "They didn't stand a chance."

Sylvanas closed her eyes at the sight, having the rest of her rangers come into the room slowly and whispering to each other about the slaughter that had clearly happened in the temple. "We need to find the Sha." The Queen said, looking over to Viraleth who nodding her head in agreement. "The rest of the camp should be here soon, but they expect us to find the Sha before they get here and that is what we will -"

There was a loud, room shaking roar coming from nearby, interrupting Sylvanas and making everyone inside the temple look over to where it was coming from. "I think it's here." Viraleth whispered to Sylvanas, standing beside her Queen and looking towards the final room in the temple and the biggest one. There was a second roar, only this one sounded like a tiger which sent hope through everyone in the temple more than fear. "Was that?"

"An ally." Sylvanas said, rushing into the final room and being followed by her rangers shortly after.

"Flee from here, mortals!" A giant white tiger yelled. He didn't look to have fur, but he was glowing and his stripes were blue instead of black. "This foe is beyond you!"

"We are here to help!" Sylvanas yelled over to the massive tiger, glancing over her shoulder when the rest of her four companies joined her, watching Viraleth's jaw drop in awe of the fight. "Everyone nock and draw your arrows." Sylvanas commanded, doing the same and looking over to the Sha.

The giant tiger saw this bravery from the lesser beings and let out a mighty roar, enchanting their arrow heads with blue lightning and watching the projectiles fly into the Sha he was fighting, dealing a significant amount of damage to weaken it. "I will keep him distracted whilst you focus on letting loose your arrows! I have powered them up with some of my power so they should be more potent."

Taking out another arrow, Sylvanas saw the blue lightning that was jolting out from the arrowhead and smiling a little at the projectile. "Fire at will!" She cried, letting loose the arrow in her hand and drawing a third, watching the majority of the projectiles hit their target and weaken the Sha, noticing he was also shrinking in size slowly which made their new ally look bigger than the Sha they were fighting.

"Keep it up, mortals! He is weakening!"

Sylvanas watched several spells begin to hit the Sha, looking back towards the druids casting their nature spells, priests using holy and shadow magic as well as mages using frost, fire or arcane. "Good timing." She said to Baine who was the first leader to make it into the room, setting up a wall of Tauren warriors to hold off the lesser Sha beings that now began to form around the bigger version.

"You seem like the type who would prefer a dramatic entrance." The Bloodhoof Cheiftain said, grinning at her before pulling out his father's giant totem and swinging it at the first lesser Sha being that came towards him. "We saw the massacre on our way through the temple."

"I will contact Taran Zhu once we have finished here." Sylvanas told the Tauren. "They deserve whatever funeral their people will give them."

The fighting went on for several minutes with the same results, the lightning inbued arrows and countless spells, partnered with the giant white tiger swiping his paw at the Sha was resulting in an ever decreasing presence of the dark being. "Stand back, mortals!" The tiger yelled shortly before building up what looked to be a ball of lightning in his jaw.

Sylvanas watched the ball of lightning build in the jaw of the white tiger, stepping back along with everyone else when it was launched at the Sha and made a loud sound of lightning crashing, covering her face with her free arm when the dark being exploaded into a thousand smaller Sha spirits, feeling what felt like a huge gust of wind blow them all back a couple of feet.

Once she moved her arm from her face, she saw what she had feared which was in fact close to a thousand lesser Sha beings. "Nock!" She cried, nocking an arrow on her bow, waiting a few seconds before giving her next command, just enough time for the lesser Sha to focus on the Horde and Alliance parties. "Draw!" She now commanded, drawing back the arrow on her bow and watching Tauren, Draenei and Dark Iron Dwarves make a line of warriors in front of them. "Loose!"

The first volley took out a good portion of the lesser Sha, softening the crash into the melee units in front of the Queen and commanding her rangers to let loose another volley into the sha. "They're falling in numbers fast." Viraleth told her Queen, reaching for another arrow and letting it loose into the enemy. "Especially if he keeps doing what he's doing."

Sylvanas looked over to the white tiger who was taking out groups of sha at once, thinning out their numbers quickly until there was just a handful left. "Finish them off." She told everyone, throwing her bow over her shoulder and walking through the lines of warriors in front of her and towards the white tiger who was scanning the room for any lesser Sha who had survived and finding none. "What happened here," she began standing in front of the tiger. "I'm sorry. I wish we could do something."

"We were caught off guard." The white tiger told her. "There was nothing you could do."

Sylvanas lowered her head from the tiger, hating the feeling of uselessness he had just thrown onto her. "I am sorry for your loss... I'm sorry, I don't know your name."

"I am Xuen, The White Tiger." He said, shifting from his tiger form to one of a blue haired human, smiling at the widened eyes of the Queen. "What? Is it too much?" Xuen looked down at himself and the lightning blue robe he was wearing. "I suppose I do stand out."

Sylvanas began to smile at the white tiger now turned human, offering him out a hand. "I'm Sylvanas, Queen of Stormwind and Warchief of the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor." When he took hold of her hand, Sylvanas initiated the hand shake. "Though not for much longer. My husband and I are stepping back from this life soon." She saw him smile at her, tilting her head at him. "What?"

"It always makes me happy to see someone who has a partner when so high up in their society." Xuen let go of her hand and looked back to the paintings on the back wall of his temple. "I am the Spirit of Strength on Pandaria, so when someone as strong as you has someone she can rely on, it makes me happy. After all, you are always stronger when with those you can rely on."

Sylvanas suddenly felt an emptiness in her stomach when her someone she could rely on wasn't standing beside her. It must have showed on her face because she was given an sympathetic look by Xuen who could sense her emptiness without even being told. "He's somewhere else at the moment." She told the bllue haired human. "He has met another one of your kind which gave him some news that ended up in a fight between us. The only reason he isn't here is because of that fight."

"Yu'lon." Xuen said, smiling at her. "She has told me of her meetings with your people and even informed me of his blight. It's not every day we come across someone who is affected by the Old Gods whilst showing no symptoms." He began to look at the armies behind Sylvanas who were looking around the temple as their curiosity got the better of them. "A woman was also affected too. A mage from what I was told who also spent a lot of time around Old Gods."

Sylvanas slowly nodded, knowing he was on about Thal'ena. "She is back home, researching a cure for the corruption inside her and my husband."

"Tell them both to come here." Xuen said. "Me and the other celestials will help them. We have discussed it and since you and your kind are doing so much to help us against the Sha, we are going to return the favour by helping your partner."

"Th-thank you." Sylvanas stuttered, bowing her head to Xuen. "I will send word to them now. If there is anything we can do to help with your fallen followers, just let us know."

"I will keep it in mind." Xuen said, smiling at her before shifting back to his tiger form.


	15. Chapter 15

**The First Trial**

Vareesa made her way through the empty camp in Kun-Lai Summit, figuring the majority of the army had moved out on an important task. The few guards that were around the camp were busy guarding the wounded and the healers that were staying behind. She continued to walk through the camp and poked her head into the main triarge tent, locking eyes with her niece and smiling at the priestess. "Hello Tanadia." She said, walking into the tent and hugging the young priestess. "How are you little one? Where's your sister? And mine if we're asking about family."

"Sylvanas has left on an urgent mission with the entire army that was stationed here." Liadrin said from the other side of the tent, looking over to Vareesa who was crouched beside her apprentice. "And Victoria is somewhere in camp. You should try her tent."

Vareesa raised an eyebrow at her niece who smiled at her. "Did she wake up on the wrong side of the bed today?" She whispered to Tanadia who smiled and nodded. "I thought so."

"She told me rangers are the most difficult people to heal, so she is a little hostile towards them right now since they're constantly hostile towards her." Tanadia smiled at Cyandia who was on the bed in front of her, getting a smile back from the Captain. "Not to me though. I think it's because they know Athrodar is my dad."

"Maybe, little one. Maybe." Vareesa kissed her on the top of the head when she hugged her. "I'm going to go look for your sister. Be good, okay?"

"I will aunty." Tanadia said with a smile, going back to looking after Cyndia who didn't mind the Princess healing her.

Vareesa walked through the camp, looking in tent after tent and finding the majority of them to be empty, apologising to those she interrupted and asking if any of them saw Victoria, getting the same response from every single one until she found the Princess' tent by mistake, clearing her throat to get her attention when she saw both her and Sera sleeping in her bed. "Sorry to interrupt." She said, watching Victoria sit up and stretch her arms up, looking away when she saw the Princess had nothing on. "Cover yourself up. We might be family, but there are still boundaries."

"Oh right." Victoria grabbed the bedsheet and pulled it over her. "Sorry."

Once she was covered up, Vareesa looked back at the Princess who was sitting up in her bed, all covered up in her bed sheets. "That's okay. I am just here to ask for some siege engines. We don't have enough to break down the fortress we have found on the Isle of Thunder and I was hoping my sister was here so I could ask her." She smiled at her niece. "Since you're here, I suppose that's the next best thing."

"Sure." Victoria said, looking back to Sera who was laying on her side, looking at her . "I'm sure my mother wouldn't mind. They aren't using them at the moment and if they're better off with you, I think she'll understand."

Vareesa continued to smile at her niece. "Fantastic. Tell your mother I said hi when she comes back and that Athrodar is fine. He isn't leading the assault, he's staying with me and my company who are keeping up the rear."

Victoria smirked at her aunty, knowing full well Athrodar or at the very least Elaria would hate such a role. "Was that his idea or yours?"

"Mine." Vareesa said with a cocky grin. "I am not about to lose my brother-in-law when Sylvanas has announced the two of you stepping down to the entire world. So he is staying at the back with me."

"Athrodar might not like that, but I know Sylvanas will be relieved to know the love of her life is being watched over by her sister." Victoria smiled at her. "Say hi to my dad for me when you return. I haven't spoken to him since before he left for that island."

"I will." Vareesa reassured her. "Just after I go see your sister again before I return. She loves me so much, I can just feel it."

Victoria rolled her eyes when her aunt left, laying back down in the bed and looking over to Sera who grinned at her. "I know. I'm no longer the cute one of the family."

"Well you are to me." Sera told her, kissing her on the cheek. "The cutest Windrunner to ever exist."

* * *

Sylvanas remained behind in the Temple of the White Tiger with her company and a few other groups, including Tyrande and her group of Priestesses who were blessing the fallen with a safe journey to the other side before taking and placing them in front of Xuen who had shifted back to his humanoid form, giving each of his fallen followers a blessing of his own. "May Elune guide you to the afterlife." Tyrande whispered to a Pandaren child, blessing their body and closing her eyes in grief, thinking nobody deserves to die that young. "I hope it's a better one than the life you had here."

The Queen looked around the room she had been told was their sacred hall for teaching, watching Orc, Tauren and Troll shaman as well as a few Dwarf shaman do the same as the Night Elves, all of them blessing the fallen Pandaren in their own way and taking them to Xuen who would later give them his blessing too. "They are all working together." Seliana whispered to her Queen, standing beside her.

"I just wished it wasn't because of something this horrific." She began to smile a little and looked over to her Captain. "But it's a good start, hopefully they can build on this."

"Though the burdon will fall onto Victoria." Seliana told her. "Since she will take over as Queen of Stormwind, the Capital of the world now, many people will look to her for guidance whilst she looks to the leaders for help. Vol'jin being the exception as he will be Warchief."

Sylvanas kept her attention on her Captain who was going back to looking at the fallen Pandaren who were being lifted and taken to Xuen. "I will still look out for her, even from Windrunner Village." The Queen smiled at just the idea of being back home with her family. "She will visit I know it. And she will as for our help on occasion, apologising because she knows we left that life behind but didn't want to seem weak in front of the council and other faction leaders."

"I will come by too." Seliana told her Queen. "A lot of us will. We have all been through so much together that I know none of our rangers that were undead before the war will want to lose contact with our Queen." She smiled at Sylvanas who smiled back at her. "You gave us life again and we are forever in your debt."

"And I will make sure to find room for any of you should you wish to join us." Sylvanas took hold of her Captain's hand. "Windrunner Village is as much your home as it is mine."

Seliana continued to smile at her Queen, glancing over her shoulder when she saw the Royal Magister appear from the previous room. "Thal'ena is here, my Lady. I don't see Athrodar though."

Sylvanas looked back to the Magister who looked around at the fallen Pandaren. "I'm sure he will be here soon. But since she is here now, we could see what Xuen has in store for him in terms of a cure."

After noticing them in the middle of the room, Thal'ena made her way over to her Queen and the Captain, bowing her head at them. "I don't suppose you know what the cure is, do you?"

"Afraid not." Sylvanas told her, looking over to Xuen. "He is the one who does and has yet to tell me how he will go about it."

Thal'ena looked over to the blue haired human, feeling suddenly warm when he looked over to her. "Wow... He is something powerful. I can sense his magic before I entered this temple, but to actually see him in person?" The Royal Magister looked over to her Queen. "Who is he?"

"His name is Xuen, the White Tiger." Sylvanas told her, walking with the Royal Magister who was finding she couldn't stop herself from getting closer to him. "He is the Aspect of Strength and a Wild God of Pandaria." She saw Thal'ena stop walking when the term 'Wild God' was said and smiled at her. "That's why you can feel his power without being near him."

"Incredible..." Thal'ena muttered. "He will cure me?"

"And Athrodar, yes. He said he could and I believe him." Sylvanas saw Xuen look over to them and bow his head before walking closer. "Just do whatever he asks. I need to know it works. If not for you then for Athrodar."

"Is this the Mage?" The blue haired Human asked, bowing his head to Thal'ena who was becoming drunk from the power he let off.

"I am." She muttered, placing a hand on his arm without asking and closing her eyes as she drank in more of his energy. "Such power... Are you certain you can cure me?"

"Certain? No. But I have a list of trials my followers go through to keep control of their emotions, lowering the chance any Sha will emerge in this land." He walked to the middle of the room and had Thal'ena follow him without asking her. "Stand here."

Sylvanas stood nearby, watching Thal'ena who had her eyes closed, still drinking in the immense power he was giving off. "Focus, Thal'ena."

The Royal Magister looked over to her Queen wide eyed and a little apologetic. "Right, sorry." She turned her focus to Xuen who was standing closer to her than Sylvanas. "What do I do?"

"Confront the Old God and his manifestations." Xuen told her. "I normally have my pupils face off against their fears as the Sha of Fear is most prominant out of the manifestations. Then what angers them the most, as it is the Sha we see most common here in Kun-Lai Summit. The Sha you all fought against. Finally they have to deal with what they hate. The Sha of Hatred is a silent manifestation. It takes its time to build up until it is strong enough to cause devastating effects."

Thal'ena took a deep breath and nodded slowly. "I am ready." She said, conjuring a ball of fire in her palm. "I am ready to tackle what I fear the most."

* * *

Vareesa returned to the Isle of Thunder with several siege engines, most of them of Dark Iron make but still bringing a few Kaldorei and Orcish catapults and glaive throwers. "I think you have brought enough." Athrodar mused, looking at the three armies worth of siege equipment. "A bit of an overkill mind you."

"Well, there's no such thing as too much when it comes to siege engines." Vareesa smiled at her brother-in-law when he laughed and nodded in agreement. "Your daughter says hi, by the way. She seems to miss you, though I can't speak for Sylvanas. She wasn't in the camp, along with the majority of their army."

"I'm sure there's a good reason for that." Athrodar told her, watching the siege engines roll by their groups of rangers. "She also misses me, I know that for sure. Because I miss her."

"You two really need to learn to not be around each other every second of the day." Vareesa told him. "You're allowed to go a week without touching each other. Titans know I do with Rhonin and have as we speak. I am returning to him after we take this fortress and I know he can wait that long."

"Well I'm sorry that your sister and I want to be joined at the hip." Athrodar told her, hearing Vareesa laugh. "Something that will happen when we're finished here."

"At least your children willknow where to find one of you. Just look for the other one."

Athrodar chuckled and nodded his head. "That's is true." He agreed, catching a glimpse of a messenger who was making their way towards them. "Hold up. We seem to have a messenger coming this way."

Vareesa placed her hands on her hips and watched the messenger continue to make a beeline towards them, letting out a small sigh. "This better not be to take the siege engines away." She told Athrodar, raising an eyebrow when the messenger stopped in front of him. "Or not?"

"You have been called back to the Temple of the White Tiger, my King." The messenger said, bowing his head to Athrodar and conjuring a portal to the temple. "Sylvanas is waiting with Royal Magister Thal'ena and the Wild God Xuen."

Vareesa kept her eyebrow raised, only this time she was looking at Athrodar with a curiosity on her face. "What is this for, then?"

"I guess I'll find out." Athrodar said, kissing Vareesa on the cheek before stepping through the portal to the Temple of the White Tiger.

"This way." The messenger said, guiding Athrodar through the temple shortly after and towards the room everyone was waiting in.

"Athrodar." Sylvanas breathed, walking over to him quickly and placing her hands on either side of his face, kissing him lightly and hugging him. "I have some good news and some bad news." Sylvanas moved one of her hands to his chest and placed it flat over his heart. "The good news is I think we have found a cure for you Old God problem."

"And the bad news?" Athrodar asked, already knowing there was a catch.

Sylvanas sighed and looked over to Thal'ena who was being healed by a couple of shaman. "The whole ordeal took its toll. She is fine, just a little out of it at the moment. Her energy was greatly drained but she is cured." Sylvanas looked back to her King who was looking at the Royal Magister. "If what you said is true, she isn't as affected by the Old God as you. I don't know what the trials will do to you."

"I guess we'll have to find out." Athrodar told her, kissing Sylvanas on the forehead. "No point missing this opportunity and wondering what could have been."

Sylvanas gave her King a worried look, taking hold of his hand and squeezing it when he began to walk away from her, keeping him in place when she pulled on it. "I know you can't promise this, but I need you to tell me you'll be safe."

Athrodar smiled and hugged his Queen when her walked towards her, stroking her hair when she hugged him tightly and kissing the top of her head. "I'll be safe, my love. I will be free from the Old God's corruption and then we can focus on returning home."

Sylvanas pulled back and looked her King in the eyes. "If you make it through this final trial, I will hand the mantle of Warchief over to Vol'jin. Then when we return to the camp, yes I am taking you back with me, you're not going to the Isle of Thunder once this is over, I will make our daughter Queen and we can go home."

Athrodar cupped his Queen's face and kissed her lightly, pressing his head against hers. "I will make sure I am not in the same state as Thal'ena." He whispered, looking over to the Royal Magister who was having a tough time staying awake. "Though I can't promise anything."

"Ah. You must be Lady Windrunner's King." Xuen said, offering out his hand to Athrodar who stepped closer to the blue haired human. "She hasn't stopped talking about you since she helped us." Xuen looked over to the Queen who had a worried look on her face, not hearing their conversation. "She cares deeply for you and it makes her strong. To fight as hard as she can to make sure her family is safe. I admire her for it is a quality I try to put in every one of my followers."

"She has made me strong too." Athrodar told him, looking back to Sylvanas and giving her a reasurring smile, putting her at ease for the time being before the trials begun. "I feared being alone the first year I was in her service, knowing that any day could be my last as I made the wrong step more than once. But she kept me around, made sure I was never alone and I have grown mentally stronger knowing that I never have to fear being alone again." He turned his attention to Xuen once more. "I have a family now, something I believed impossible when I joined her."

Xuen just smiled at Athrodar, moving back a few paces until he was standing out of the small arena the King now found himself in. "Have you been told of the three trials you must face?" He saw Athrodar shake his head, looking over to one of the braziers in the room and extending his hand out to it, communing with the smoke and not the fire which then began to wrap around his arm. "You will have to face your fears, what angers you and your biggest hatred. Only in dealing with these three can the Old God be extracted from you."

"How exactly does that work?" Athrodar asked, a question the Wild God wasn't unprepared for.

"You will be using the corruption from inside you to form the images of your three trials. Once defeated, whatever Old God corrupted you won't have as strong of a hold on you. Once all three are defeated, he will be weak enough for me to extract." Xuen began to send the smoke towards Athrodar, making it circle around his feet. "When you're ready, tell me what trial you wish to face."

Athrodar closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to picture what his first trial could be. "Anger." Was all he said, feeling the room suddenly change from the cool winds of Kun-Lai Summit to something that felt incredibly hot.

"The change in temperature is normal. When you're angry, you get hot headed. This is simulated with the change in room temperature." Xuen told him before he even had to ask.

When Athrodar opened his eyes, he saw an image he had not expected. "Genn?" He questioned, reaching for his sword and finding he had left it back on the Isle of Thunder. Not letting panic creep in as the image of Genn reached for his own sword, Athrodar drew the knife he always kept strapped to his boot and held it in his hand, getting into a fighting stance when the Old Wolf began to make his way towards him slowly.

Sylvanas glanced down to Viraleth who stood beside her, both of them seeing the image clearly as the smoke coalesced into the image of Genn. "I didn't expect the thing to make him angry would have been Genn." The Ranger-General said, looking over to her Queen who had a look of anger on her face. "Unless you know why?"

"His Worgen hurt you and several of the Forsaken who tried to get our daughter back when the stole her." Sylvanas gripped onto the pummel of her sword tightly. "He tried to take our daughter away and apparently killing him hasn't made him show less anger towards him."

Athrodar ducked under the sword swing from Genn, being kicked back soon after before rolling away when the Old Worgen moved uncharacteristically fast. "What the..?" He looked over to Xuen for some sort of answer.

"The images are enhanced. "The blue haired human told him. "They get stronger the more your emotions are tied to the images."

Athrodar parried the next sword swing with his knife, using his free hand to land a sucker punch on the image. "And to defeat him?" He now asked, glancing over to Xuen who just shook his head. "Great.. Thanks."

Sylvanas watched on as her King struggled to defeat the Image of Genn, knowing what he had to do but also knowing he couldn't hear her. "He has to calm himself." She whispered to Viraleth. "The images are tied to his emotions. If he stops feeling anger towards him, it will weaken."

"Why don't we tell him?" The Ranger-General asked, not being there for when Thal'ena had to do it so she couldn't see what she done first hand.

"He can't hear us. Only Xuen can talk to him as they're his trials. I didn't get it at first, but when he told him they're tied to his emotions, I figured it out." The Queen looked mildly frustrated at figuring it out a little too late. "And now I can't tell him so he has to figure it out."

"If only you fought like this when you were holding my daughter captive." Athrodar said, taking several steps back. "I could have enjoyed the fight."

When Genn launched his next attack on him, Athrodar was cut by the blade on his arm as he tried to dodge it. Luckily it was a shallow cut, but it still made him bleed. "There has to be a way." He muttered to himself, placing a hand over the wound and suddenly remembering what Xuen said. "He's tied to my emotions and he gets stronger the angrier I get..."

Sylvanas saw Athrodar close his eyes and took several steps forward, being stopped by a magical barrier that kept Athrodar inside the trial and away from outside contact. "What are you doing?" She said, placing her hand on the barrier and watching Genn get ever closer to Athrodar who kept his eyes closed. "He's going to kill you!" She yelled, slamming her fist on the barrier.

Xuen just smiled from the other side of the trial, watching and feeling the image of Genn slow down and weaken with every stride until he collapsed into a cloud of smoke just as his blade was about to hit Athrodar. "Well done." He said softly, calling the smoke back to the brazier and walking to Athrodar. "The first trial is complete."

Sylvanas came to Athrodar's side and looked at the wound he has sustained, placing a hand over it to try and stop it from bleeding whilst calling over a nearby shaman. "They are only going to get tougher." She whispered to him, planting a kiss on his cheek. "Our Royal Magister was struggling on the third image. It was draining her energy and weakening her spells."

Athrodar reached for his Queen's sword, untying the leather straps that held it to her hip and taking the entire scabbard with the blade off her. "I am going to need this." He whispered, watching her smile when she looked down at the sword now in his hand. "Just to protect myself."

"That's fine." Sylvanas told him, placing a hand on his cheek and gently rubbing her thumb across it. "I just need you to be safe." She looked down at his wound that had been closed by the healers, kissing where it once was. "Which means no more getting cut by smoke swords."

Athrodar chuckled and nodded his head, kissing his Queen on the lips before watching her step back. "I'll try my hardest to not get hit."


	16. Chapter 16

**Hatred and Fear**

"Which one do you want to face next?" Xuen asked Athrodar as he stood in the middle of the arena.

Looking over his shoulder, Athrodar's gaze fell on his Queen to get an idea on what he should face. Although he thought it would have helped, Sylvanas couldn't read minds or talk to him in his, so she just smiled at him and wished him luck. "Hatred." He told the Wild God, turning his attention back to him. "I know who I am going to face, so I want to do it whilst I'm still strong."

Xuen smiled and bowed his head. "Very well." He said, summoning the smoke from the nearby brazier once more and sending it towards Athrodar, watching it envelope him before slowly coalescing into an image in front of the King. "This will be a tougher test." He told him. "Hatred is more powerful than anger, you will see that doing the same thing as last time doesn't defeat the image."

As predicted, the image of Hatred appeared in front of Athrodar who instinctively went to the sword on his hip that he took from Sylvanas, unsheathing it and spinning the blade around in his hand. "Arthas..." He muttered, sidestepping in a circle as the Lich King smirked at his former Prince. "I am no longer the man you made into a killer."

Arthas let out a dark chuckle, slamming Frostmourne into the ground and pulling up one of his armoured gloves. "You will always be the killer I molded in Northrend. You may try to hide from it, but it is in your nature to kill."

"My hatred for you runs deep, Arthas." Athrodar said through gritted teeth. "Even after we killed you, there has always been that pit of hatred in my stomach."

Arthas let out another dark chuckle, picking up Frostmourne and pointing it at his former Prince. "Your hatred burns deep inside you because that is the last remnants of me. You may be rid of my gift, but you will never be rid of me."

Sylvanas was being held back by Viraleth who held onto her Queen's arm tightly. "I should have known he would be the image of hatred!" She began to fight against Viraleth's hold to try and fight Arthas herself, never really getting closure for what he did to her and wanting to sieze this opportunity now. "I want my revenge, Viraleth. Let go of me!"

"My lady, you can't." Viraleth told her, doubling down her efforts to hold her Queen in place. "This is his trial, he has to clear the hatred he feels for Arthas. You can't help him even if you wanted to, remember?"

The Queen stopped her struggling, though she was becoming more and more agitated with the mocking laughs and taunts Arthas was throwing Athrodar's way. "Why did it have to be him..." She muttered, keeping her fist clenched as she watched the trial go on before her.

"You couldn't defeat me with your powers." Arthas told him, watching his former Prince side step around him, trying to get a good feel on how to defeat the Lich King. "How do you think this will go with your weaker, living form?" Arthas opened up his free hand and the clenched it shut, freezing Athrodar's feet in place. "Especially since I can still do this?" The Lich King looked to where Sylvanas was watching the confrontation, grinning under his helmet at her as she watched on.

"You are just an image in my head." Athrodar said quietly, hearing Arthas laugh at him. "You are tied to my hatred, I just have to clear my head of that feeling when I look at you."

Arthas continued to laugh, walking towards Athrodar who was still frozen in place by the ice around his legs, feeling the break free for a split second before having Arthas' hand grip him around the throat and lift him up. "You will always feel hatred when you look at me. It is the one emotion that makes us who we are, two birds of a feather."

Athrodar opened his eyes and looked at Arthas who grinned at him, placing his hands on the hand around his throat and fighting to pull it off him. "I... I..."

Arthas laughed at him, squeezing his throat a little harder and watching as his former Prince began to struggle with the simple task of breathing. "You what? Want to pledge yourself to my Scourge once more?" Arthas continued to laugh at him. "You will be nothing more than a mindless drone." He gave Athrodar dark smile when something crossed him mind. "Maybe I should visit Silvermoon and bring the Blood Queen back? After all, I haven't finished with her yet and I have so much more experimenting to do on your first love."

Sylvanas closed her eyes and sighed. "Damn it... So close."

Athrodar's eyes were filled with a fury that had overcome his senses and took over his entire body, removing one hand from Arthas' hand and taking hold of the knife attatched to his boot and plunging it into the Lich King's abdomen. Falling to the ground the moment Arthas let go of his throat, he began to rub his neck and coughing whilst trying to take in as much air as possible. "You leave... her... alone!" He yelled with such ferocity that it not only empowered Arthas greatly, it made the one way smoke dome that surrounded them more intense, closing in on the King and the image in front of him. "You will never touch Lana'thel again!" He roared, launching himself at the Lich King and stabbing in serveral times in quick succession, only getting a dark, throaty chuckle from Arthas in return.

"Pathetic." Arthas said, swatting Athrodar back to the edge of the smoke dome. "Your hatred has only made me more powerful. As usual, you are nothing but second best to me."

Athrodar made to push himself up with his hands, only to have Arthas place his booted foot on his back and pin him down. "Now die." The Lich King told him, slowly putting more pressure into squashing his Prince under his boot.

_Forgive him for his atrocities._ A voice said in Athrodar's head that was quickly filling up with the sound of blood rushing around his body. _Forgive him for being tempted into power he couldn't control. Forgive him._

Sylvanas looked away as Xuen showed no interest in stopping the trial, not wanting to look at the outcome that she feared would happen. "I can't look, Viraleth. Tell me the outcome."

"I forgive... you... Arthas." Athrodar strained, feeling the boot lift off him a little. "You were.. tempted by power... It corrupted you and... You couldn't control your actions." He looked up at the Lich King who stared down at him with emptiness in his eyes, his boot no longer pushing down on Athrodar and making it easier for him to speak. "You said as much to the spirit of your father as you were dying. I see that now." He stood up and looked at the Lich King, their heights leveled out now that his power was growing weaker. "I forgive you."

The image of Arthas returned to its smokey form, retreating back to Xuen who put it back into the brazier and stood in front of the King. "Forgiveness is always the best way to getting rid of great hatreds. The moment you forgive someone, you start building bridges to better your relationship with them." The blue haired human stepped towards Athrodar who was hugged by his Queen from behind the moment Viraleth told her the outcome. "You almost lost yourself to the hatred you had for him, but that voice in your head cleared your mind."

"What voice?" Sylvanas asked him, kissing his cheek as she continued to hug him from behind.

"Lana'thel. She has been my voice of reason and has spoken sense into me whenever I was doing something wrong." He turned back to Sylvanas who looked into his eyes. "Hers is the voice that convinced me into staying with you the first year I joined the Forsaken. The voice that has kept me with you all these years."

Sylvanas kissed him hard on the lips, stroking his cheek when she pulled away to look into his eyes again. "I can't say I'm not a little annoyed that the voice of reason in your head is your former lover. But if she is giving you perfect advice, like settling down with me, then I can look passed it."

"Are you ready for your final trial?" Xuen asked, interrupting both King and Queen who were whispering to each other in Thalassian. "Your image of fear will allow me to cleanse the Old God corruption from you. I can feel it weakening, it just needs that final push."

Athrodar took a deep breath and looked to his Queen who was now worried. "It's what I fear the most." He told her. "I don't know if there is an image for being alone."

Sylvanas stroked his cheek with her hand, gazing into his eyes. "Maybe that's not it." She told him, watching him frown. "Maybe that's not what you fear now. I am here, your family are at home and our daughter is here in camp. We will never leave you and deep down you know that."

"I know." Athrodar said quietly, kissing his Queen lightly before stepping back two steps. "I have to do this. It's going to take a lot out of me, if what you say happened to Thal'ena is true."

"Just be safe. And don't go taunting whatever image shows up. Arthas almost killed you again and I don't want to see that."

Athrodar smiled at his Queen and bowed his head to her. "I will play it safe for this one and keep my distance."

Sylvanas began to make her way back to Viraleth and the growing crowd who were watching the trials. "I am not looking forward to this one, Viraleth."

The Ranger-General placed her hand on her Queen's shoulder when she turned back around to look at her King. "He knows what he is doing, my Lady. Trust me, but most of all trust him."

Athrodar nodded to Xuen who was waiting for the King to be ready. "I must remind you," the blue haired human began, "this is your final task. Because of that, it will be the most challenging."

"I'm ready." He told the White Tiger, placing a hand over the pummel of his sword just in case the image was something he had to fight.

Just like the last two, Xuen summoned smoke from the brazier beside him and sent it towards Athrodar, enveloping him before expending outwards and creating a dome of smoke. Several tendrils began to move towards the middle of the dome in front of the King and quickly formed his image of fear. "No..." Xuen said under his breath, watching the Sha of Fear itself begin to grow in the middle of the dome of smoke as well as several images of the Horde and Alliance, most notably Sylvanas and Victoria on his left along with a handful of rangers.

Quickly coming to the realisation on what this image was, Athrodar's heart sank as it all became clear to him. "My vision..." He muttered, looking over to the image of Sylvanas who was standing beside him along with their rangers. "This is what I saw."

The image just gave him a confident smile and a single nod, holding onto her bow and looking up at the Sha of fear that stood before them. "Then let's slay this being and cleanse Pandaria for its natives."

The real Sylvanas looked on with shock as she too realised this was the vision her King saw. The one thing that gave him fear more than anything, his death. "Xuen!" She yelled, looking over to the Wild God who was watching the trial unfold before him. "Stop this! It's going to kill him!"

"I can't." He simply told her. "If I stop this before its conclusion, it could greatly damage our chances of cleansing your King. If I stop this now, _he_ could be injured both mentally and physically as the smoke dome would turn against him."

"Damn it!" Sylvanas hissed, looking back to Viraleth who gave her a look of sympathy in return. "Gather our best healers. We both know how this is going to end and I want them here to prevent the worst from happening."

Viraleth bowed her head. "Right away, my Lady."

* * *

Liadrin sighed and rolled her eyes when she walked into the triarge tent and saw Tanadia healing Victoria with Sera standing over them. "Please don't tell me you injured yourself doing something innapropriate." The Paladin said, looking to where Tanadia was healing and letting out another sigh, though this one was of relief. "Oh thank the Titans."

Victoria chuckled and looked at her hand that had a long cut on it, watching her sister close the wound slowly. "No, I injured myself because I wasn't looking. I went to pick up my sword by the hilt, but I grabbed the blade and now I am here." She could feel Sera's permanent grin on the back of her head. "Stop laughing, it's not funny."

"I'm not laughing, my Lady." Sera said, glancing over to Liadrin who was also grinning at her accident. "I was earlier though."

Victoria groaned and focused on Tanadia who was too busy trying to heal her sister to have listened, just being happy she could both practice and show off what she has learnt. "You're doing really good, little one." She whispered to the priestess who smiled. "I know you are going to be a great priestess and healer."

"I know." Tanadia said with confidence. "I have the best teacher."

Liadrin poked her tongue out at Victoria who looked back at her. "She has the best teacher." The Paladin repeated.

"Why exactly are you trying to one up me? I'm not teaching her." Victoria looked back to the wound on her hand that was almost closed. "And if I was, I'd be the better teacher because you're not a ranger."

Before Liadrin could argue against that, Viraleth had entered the tent and interrupted the four of them when she said the Paladin's name. "Liadrin. I need you to gather all your healers and follow me."

"Why? What's going on?" She asked, tilting her head at the Ranger-General.

"Sylvanas requested the best healers we have and you're the last one on the list since the rest are already there." She looked over to Tanadia who stopped healing her sister and looked back at the Ranger-General, making her pull the Paladin in close so she was whispering to her. "Athrodar is going to need all the help we can give him. They have found a cure for the Old God corruption he has, but it comes with a huge price."

"His life?" Liadrin asked.

"It may well be, if we don't have the best healers around him in time." Viraleth looked over to Tanadia who couldn't help but get closer to hear what they were saying, seeing the worried look on her face. "I'm sorry, Princess, but this will help him out in the long run."

"I am coming with you." She told them. It wasn't a question and Liadrin knew it by just the look on her face. "He is my father and I will be there to heal him."

Liadrin smiled and looked back to Viraleth who wasn't certain. "You heard her. She is coming with us."

Viraleth held up her hands. "Fine. Though the Queen expects the best healers, so if you're serious about healing him, you need to keep your emotions in check which I know will be tough for you since he is your father and you've probably not had that training yet." She looked up to Liadrin who shook her head. "Come on."

Tanadia straightened her back as they began to leave, looking up at Victoria who was grabbing a nearby bandage and wrapping her hand with it to cover up the rest of the cut that wasn't yet healed. "I won't let the Queen down." She told her sister who smiled.

"I know you won't."

* * *

Athrodar held onto Sylvanas's sword and looked to the image of her on his left. "We need to push them off the cliff." The image said, pointing towards the cliff that appeared out of thin air behind the Sha of Fear. "We can win this war if we stick together and make an impenetrable wall of shields to push the Sha back."

Looking around at their army, Athrodar slowly nodded to his Queen's assessment and turned to face the images of his soldiers. "Men, women, soldiers of Azeroth!" He yelled, addressing them as they all looked up to their King and saluted. "This is our greatest foe as an army, but not the greatest foe this world has seen. We have been through worse with Deathwing and the Lich King. Even the Burning Legion has tried and failed to take us out." He looked over to the Sha who was growing in height. "We will force this ancient foe into the sea below and watch as it crashes into the rocks."

The real Sylvanas heard his small speech and then the rallying cry of the soldiers around him, getting goose bumps but then immediately feeling a pit form in her stomach as the Sha of Fear roared back at them. "Come on Viraleth..." She muttered, looking back to the entrance of their room. "I have a bad feeling this is going to end soon."

Athrodar looked around at his men who were suddenly frozen in place. "Hold steady. Dig deep and find your courage." He said, looking back to the Sha and feeling the courage he told them to find in his own heart. "If we are to meet our doom here, we will fight until our last breaths." He told them, not forgetting it was a trial he was in, but getting so caught up in the moment of leading that he had kept that piece of information in the back of his mind. "The fate of this planet lies on our shoulders and I'll be damned if I see it fall into darkness."

The image of Sylvanas placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a nod of confidence before nocking an arrow into her bow. "I am behind you, my love." She said, looking up at the Sha. "We can win this battle."

When Athrodar heard the Sha roar again, he breathed in deeply and took a couple steps towards it. "Show no fear." He muttered to himself, bringing the sword in his hand to his lips and kissing the blade. "And this enemy shall fall today."

Sylvanas watched as the vision her King had described to her in great detail began to take place. Athrodar charging towards the Sha, accompanied with several soldiers as they were the first into the fight. Then the one thing she was dreading happened.

The Sha of Fear brought down his massive fist and crushed Athrodar and several of the soldiers beneath it, watching the trial come to an end when Xuen called the smoke back. "His trials are complete." He said quietly as Sylvanas and several healers rushed to Athrodar.

"Athrodar, baby." The Queen whispered, helping flip him over and hearing his shallow breathing. "Baby it's me. It's your Sylvanas. Please wake up so I know you're okay."

Xuen watched as several different races helped heal the King and couldn't help but smile when he saw how they all worked together. "He has shown remarkable bravery and strength." He told Sylvanas who didn't want to hear this right now. "To charge into his greatest fear with such courage shows how strong he really is."

Sylvanas looked up to the Wild God who was standing close by. "Help him." She begged, a rarity for her and everyone around them knew it. "Please! He is my life and I can't lose him."

Xuen bowed his head to her desperate pleads. "I have cured him of his corruption. The crushing blow didn't do anything to him, this is just a side effect of the cure. He was more corrupted than the Mage, so it has taken more out of him." He looked down to Athrodar who had several hands and spells on him. "He will recover, he just needs constant watching over."

Sylvanas stepped back when Viraleth arrived with Liadrin and a handful of healers, standing beside her Ranger-General who saw them all get to work. "I tried to get here as quick as I could." She whispered to her Queen, feeling as if she had let her down. "I hope we got here in time."

The Queen just sighed, slowly growing to hate Pandaria as it has brought nothing but pain to her family since they arrived. "I hope so too." She told her Ranger-General, taking hold of Viraleth's hand and feeling her squeeze it. "I told him we are going home once he was cleansed." She looked back to Victoria who had walked into the room with Sera, smiling over to her daughter. "I just have to make a few changes before we go, but I am certain they will all work out nicely."

"I know they will." Viraleth told her, looking back to Victoria and feeling a small pang in her heart as she still had feelings for the Princess. "I am going to tell you this now, so there's no surprise in the future. Your daughter means to make Sera her new General, which will make things a little awkward for me in Stormwind, seeing as I am the General at the moment." She looked back to her Queen who was a little confused. "I am returning to Silvermoon and pledging myself to the Farstriders again. I don't know if they will take me, since I'm not a Blood Elf, I'm still a High Elf. But I can't be in Stormwind any more, so I thought I'd tell you first since we may run into each other a lot."

Sylvanas thought she would be upset that Viraleth was going to leave her daughter with less guidance than before, but couldn't help but smile at her friend who had come to her first. "That's okay. Honestly it is. I look forward to seeing you in your new uniform when you get in. I'll even send a good word to Lor'Themar, see if I can change anything from the top."

Viraleth smiled at her Queen. "Thank you." Her attention returned to Athrodar the second the Queen's did. "I hope he wakes up soon."

"He will. I know he will." Sylvanas told her, taking hold of Victoria's bandaged hand when she stood beside her. "What happened here?" She asked her daughter, bringing the hand up to their eyeline.

Victoria laughed lightly, finding it funny the more the day went on. "I went to pick up my sword, wasn't looking and picked it up by the blade." The Princess looked over to her sister who was keeping a cool head whilst healing her father with everyone else. "Tanadia is becoming a skilled healer already. She was patching me up until we were interrupted."

Sylvanas looked to the young priestess who was kneeling beside Liadrin and an Orc Shaman. "She will become an important part of this family in the future. I know she will."

"We have to take him back." Liadrin said, looking over to Sylvanas who stepped towards them. "He is stable for now, but I'd like to keep a close eye on him back at the camp."

Victoria looked up at Sylvanas who nodded her head in agreement. "I am going to the Isle of Thunder to help out Vareesa." She told her mother, making her look around at her. "I know you want to make me Queen soon, but since Athrodar has come back here, I thought I would go to keep an eye on things over there."

Sylvanas watched them take Athrodar out the temple in a stretcher, looking back down to her daughter with a smile. "You can go. I'll write up the documents that pass the throne to you and leave it to the council. Once you return, they will have you sign it and then you can have your coronation however you wish." She kissed her daughter on the top of her head after pulling her in for a hug, squeezing her lightly shortly after. "Now we have to make sure your father will be okay."


	17. Chapter 17

**Handing Over The Reins**

Sylvanas woke up beside her King who hadn't yet woken up, though the updates from Liadrin was giving her hope that he would wake up soon as she didn't need to heal him for as long as she did the moment she was called to the Temple of the White Tiger. "You will be here soon, my love." She whispered shortly before kissing him on the cheek. "I am staying by your side like you stayed by mine. I won't leave until you are awake, then we can go home."

The Queen looked over to the elf sleeping on the chair beside them and smiling to herself as Tanadia hadn't left her father's side since they came back to camp, getting up off the bed and placing a blanket around the Princess, trying her best to not wake her up in the process. "To keep you warm." She whispered to her, though it fell on deaf ears as she remained asleep.

Climbing back into bed beside her King, she draped an arm over him and stared at his face that looked so peaceful compared to how she saw him yesterday. He had a fear in his eyes she hadn't seen since his dream vision close to a year ago, but she was proud of him for not letting it control him in his final trial, for digging deep and finding courage to face his biggest fear. "Though I don't forgive you for how you went about it." She told him, kissing his forehead before laying back down beside him, resting her head on his shoulder.

Liadrin entered the command tent shortly after Sylvanas rested her head on her King's shoulder, smiling at Tanadia who remained asleep before looking over to the King and Queen. "This could be the day." She told Sylvanas, placing a hand on Athrodar's head and pouring some holy light into him. "I know he's only been asleep for half a day, but he had an entirely different injury to yours." Her attention turned to Athrodar, feeling something stirring within and smiling a little. "It might be sooner rather than later. I think his body is waking up before he is."

"What does that mean?" Sylvanas asked, sitting up and looking down at her King.

"He is waking up very soon." The Paladin said with a smile and a small laugh. "It could be in five minutes, fifty or even five hours. I just know it will happen today since he has recovered a lot since I examined him last night."

"Good." Sylvanas said, resting her head on Athrodar's shoulder once more. "Will you be staying in Stormwind once we both leave?" She asked the Paladin who continued her examination of Athrodar.

Liadrin looked up at the Queen before returning her gaze to Athrodar. "I know I pledged myself to him when we took Stormwind and you named him King, that I will serve him until one of us dies, but I have everything in the Capital now, especially his daughter." She looked back to Tanadia who looked just as peaceful as her father in this very moment. "If it's all the same to you, my Lady, I will be staying in Stormwind, yes. If he will allow it, I would like my oath to be passed down to Victoria."

Sylvanas smiled at her and nodded. " I will see what I can do. He will most likely accept that so there shouldn't be a problem." Her gaze returned to her King just as she traced a finger across his cheek. "I think he just wants to live the rest of his life in peace, whilst looking out for his family. So if passing your oath down to our daughter, I think he will be more than happy to oblige."

Liadrin bowed her head to Sylvanas once she had finished. "I will be back later today if he hasn't woken up before hand." She looked back to Tanadia and smiled. "I'm sure this one will come and get me if he does."

Once they were alone again, Sylvanas just stared at her King with saddened eyes. Despite being told he will wake up today and feeling hopeful that it's soon, she still felt sad and a little lost with him not being awake now. "When we go home, I am going to keep you on a very short leash. I don't want to lose you and if that means we do everything together, then so be it."

Close to an hour passed by before anything happened with the Queen sitting up when she heard Athrodar groan. "Baby?" She whispered, placing a hand on his chest and feeling his heart beat. "Are you awake?" She asked, hearing him grown again before seeing his eyes slowly open to look at her. "Hi baby..." She said softly with such a warm smile that it made Athrodar smile in response. "How do you feel?"

Athrodar tried to sit up but had to close his eyes tightly when a massive pressure appeared in his head as well as a blinding pain. "Head..." He muttered, clutching it and laying back down. "Hurts."

Sylvanas leaned down and kissed her King. "I'll go get Liadrin." She told him, climbing out the bed and making her way out the tent.

* * *

"Is this everyone?"

Sera nodded her head. "This is what remains of your company, my Lady. The recruits have yet to be distributed to everyone, though that will have to wait until we're back in Stormwind."

Victoria walked back and forth in front of her company, letting out a small sigh at the size of it. "Did the recruits or Shado-Pan lose as many as we did?"

Sera closed her eyes and shook her head. "We took the most losses, my Lady. The recruits were injured more than killed and the Shado-Pan were holding our flank, so they didn't lose as many." She looked to Victoria who was inspecting one of her rangers. "We were left with half our company."

"I can't lose any more..." The Princess muttered, catching a glimpse of Sylvanas talking to Liadrin who then began to smile. "I think my father is awake."

Sera looked over to the Queen adn the Paladin, smiling when she saw them both rush back to the command tent and then catching a glimpse of Victoria doing the same. "You can all return to your tents. I don't think she will want to lose anymore of you." They all bowed their heads and thanked the Captain before heading back to whatever it was they were doing before.

Entering the command tent, Victoria looked at her father who was being examined by Liadrin the second the Paladin entered the tent. "How is he?" She asked, looking to her mother who was holding onto her King's hand.

"Other than the headache, he hasn't complained about anything else." Sylvanas raised Athrodar's hand to her lips and kissed the top of it, stroking it across her cheek shortly after and closing her eyes and just the touch of him. "Some of the council members are visiting as both ambassadors and to make you the new Queen of Stormwind." She said, glancing over to her daughter who stood beside the bed now. "If you still want it."

Victoria just nodded her head. "I do, mom. I want to make you both proud by carrying on what you have started."

Sylvanas smiled and looked back at two Orcish elders who had now entered the tent. "First though, I need to hand the mantle of Warchief over to Vol'jin." She looked back down at Athrodar and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll be right back."

Victoria watched her mother leave the tent, turning her attention back to Athrodar who took hold of her hand. "When are you both leaving for home?"

Athrodar smiled at her question. "Trying to get rid of us, are we?"

Victoria widened her eyes and shook her head, holding up her hands in the meantime. "No, no! That's not what I meant. I'm just asking because I wanted to ask if I could use your rangers when I go to help Vareesa on the Isle of Thunder."

"Of course you can." Athrodar told her. "They're your Rangers once we hand Stormwind over to you. Though anyone who wants to return with us will be off limits."

"Deal." Victoria said, smiling and hugging her father, interrupting Liadrin who was trying to heal Athrodar in the meantime.

"She hasn't said, but I spoke to your wife." The Paladin began, getting Athrodar to look at her. "Since you're both stepping down from this life, I have asked her to ask you if my oath can pass down to Victoria. I would still like to serve your family and uphold my oath to you."

Athrodar smiled and nodded his head once at her. "You can serve our daughter. If she'll have you of course."

"I will." Victoria told her. "I need your experience and with you helping my sister," she looked to Tanadia who was still sleeping in the same chair, "who somehow isn't awake, I can't lose such a great family friend."

Liadrin bowed her head to Victoria. "Thank you, my Lady. I promise I will help you in any way I can." She looked over to Athrodar who closed his eyes to try and quell the headache. "Head still banging?"

"Mhm." He muttered aggressively, having the pain take over more than anything else. "It's not getting any better."

"Let me try something." Liadrin said, placing her hands on either side of his face and putting some pressure on his temples before focusing on pouring as much of the holy light into him as she could. "Better?" She asked, watching him nod. "Good."

* * *

"Are ya sure about dis, Sylvanas?" Vol'jin asked just before the ceremony began. "I won't be upset if ya still want da title of Warchief."

Sylvanas held up her hands and shook her head. "I have spent over two and a half centuries as a ranger, fighting to protect what I have. Now that I have everything I could ever want, with the world at the most peaceful it has been in a long time, I just want to live quietly with my family in a tiny corner of this world, alone."

Vol'jin smiled and looked down at his hand, rubbing two of his three fingers together. "Before he died, Saurfang told me ta keep an eye out on you and Athrodar." He looked back up at Sylvanas who frowned and tilted her head at him. "Ta stop ya both if ya be making a mistake." He looked over to an empty space in his tent, almost as if he could see the Old Orc standing beside him. "He would be proud of what ya have both done. Building a world not only for yaselves, but for everyone."

Sylvanas smiled and watched the two elder shaman with them light a couple of incenses and begin to make their way over to Vol'jin. "Athrodar and I picked you because we both know you can lead this world into something better." She watched the Shaman begin the ceremony, slowly feeling a great weight be lifted from her as the mantle of Warchief was being passed down to someone she believed would carry on what she had started.

As she watched the ceremony happen before her, her mind took her back to when she had to go through this. The build up of smoke from the incense, the wolf skin draped over both her head and shoulders as well as the oath she had to speak. She smiled when Vol'jin began to speak the oath, mouthing the words along with him as she still remembered them as if it was the day she took Warchief all over again.

_Only a few more hours._ She heard her mind say, smiling just a little wider if that was even possible and feeling warm inside at the prospect of going home soon. But she also felt nervous and a little unsure. Afterall, this was a chapter of her life she had never ventured in before. Fighting was her life, her entire life. Actually settling down with her family was something she had dreamed about, sure, but it was entirely new territory for the former Banshee Queen and one she was looking forward to most of all. Though the lingering feeling of worry and uncertainty remained in the back of her mind and would remain there until she was home.

By the time Sylvanas returned to the command tent where her King was, she found him sleeping once more, but this time Victoria was curled up beside him with Snow at the foot of the bed. "Unbelievable..." She muttered, rolling her eyes and shaking her head.

She wasn't angry of course, she found it adorable and wanted nothing more to sit beside them and just watch the two most important people in her life sleep in front of her. Unfortunately, she had to meet the Stormwind Council members who were coming by any minute and she needed to be with her daughter so she could be made the Queen of Stormwind.

"Honey." Sylvanas whispered, placing a hand on Victoria's arm and lightly shaking her to wake her up. "The Council will be here any minute."

The Princess groaned and sat up, stretching her arms and looking at her father who was still asleep. "He was tired and Liadrin told him to rest to help with his headache." She told her mother, smiling at her. "I wanted to join because he looked so peaceful."

Sylvanas smiled back at her, stroking her hair out of her face. "You can return here and sleep beside your father when we return and you're named Queen. And since you're going to the Isle of Thunder soon, this may be the last time you get to be with us for a while."

"My Lady." Seliana said, poking her head into the tent. "The Council are here."

"Thank you, Seliana." Sylvanas said, placing a gentle hand on her daughter's cheek. "Ready?"

Victoria took a deep breath and nodded slowly. "I am."

Sylvanas opened the flap of the tent for her daughter. "Let's get going then."

* * *

"Can I visit often?"

Athrodar laughed and hugged his daughter. "Of course you can. You don't have to ask to visit either, you are my daughter and I would be more than happy for you to come by whenever you want." He pulled back from the hug and looked Tanadia in the eyes. "But you have to focus on your priest training first, okay?"

Tanadia smiled and nodded her head profusely. "Okay! I will be the best priest you know, I promise."

"No, you will be better." Athrodar said, brushing a thumb across her cheek and watching Tanadia's smile beam up to him. "Now if I didn't know any better, I'd say it's midday and you've yet to eat anything. Are you hungry?"

Tanadia nodded her head. "I am, papa."

"Okay." Athrodar said with a smile, offering a hand to his daughter. "Let's go get something to eat and maybe your sister and Sylvanas will meet up with us."

As they left the command tend, Tanadia stroked a hand through Snow's fur which caught his attention, the Nightsaber watching them leave and following the priestess out the tent shortly after, not realising Victoria had already left and not wanting to be alone. "Good boy." The priestess said when he made his way beside her, the three of them walking towards the main supply tent and where the majority of the food was being cooked. "Victoria will be with us soon." She whispered to Snow once they sat down at an empty table, laughing when the Nightsaber placed his head on her lap.

"He misses her already." Athrodar said, stroking a hand through Snow's fur. "They rarely part ways for more than an hour unless one of them has to stay back. More often than not it's him, but that doesn't make it easier."

Tanadia thanked Athrodar when he got their food, looking down at Snow and occasionally feeding him some of her food. "Now that Victoria will be Queen, she will probably do her best to keep Snow with her at all times, right?"

Athrodar grinned and nodded his head. "More than likely, yes." He looked over to his daughter who was still stroking Snow and occasionally feeding him some of her food. "Why?"

"I just want him to be happy, so if he gets to be with Victoria all day every day, I think he will be." Tanadia stroked Snow's nose and smiled when he licked her hand. "And I will be nearby too so he doesn't lose me."

Athrodar kissed the top of his daughter's head. "He'll always be happy you're nearby to visit him. Now come on, eat your food and stop feeding Snow. I'm sure Victoria will do that when she returns."

The two of them were joined by Liadrin after a few more minutes with the Paladin forcing Athrodar out the way so she could sit with Tanadia. "How is my favourite student?" The Paladin asked, smiling down at Tanadia whilst Athrodar moved to the opposite side of the table.

"I'm pretty sure you can't say that." Athrodar said, watching Liadrin poke her tongue out at him.

"I can say what I want, I'm the teacher." Liadrin moved an arm around Tanadia who smiled up at her. "So? How are you?"

"I am good, Li Li." Tanadia told her, making the Paladin roll her eyes at the nickname. "We're waiting for my sister to return as the new Queen of Stormwind."

Liadrin raised an eyebrow at the little priestess and looked over to Athrodar. "That's happening now? And you're not there?"

He held up his hands. "I am not needed for that part. Plus I was sleeping when they left, so I presume they didn't want to wake me up for it." He caught a glimpse of Sylvanas and Victoria as they entered the supply tent, focusing on his Queen as she made her way over to him and giving him a gentle kiss before sitting down beside him, taking hold of his arm in a hug and resting her head on his shoulder. "All done?"

Sylvanas nodded her head. "Our Victoria is officially Queen of Stormwind." The now former Queen said, closing her eyes and resting against her husband. "The Council will make it public knowledge when they return, after they have had talks with the Pandaren about setting up a trade route."

Athrodar kissed the top of Sylvanas' head, keeping his lips pressed against her head when he whispered to her. "Are you ready to go home?"

"I am." Sylvanas whispered back. "I will get Seliana to go to the Isle of Thunder and inform your Captain, I know she wants to come back with us."

"You're going now?" Liadrin asked, looking over to the pair of them. "I haven't examined you yet."

"Luna can." Athrodar told the Paladin, standing up when his wife stood up. "I'll be fine Liadrin. You can come with us to examine me when we return home if you want."

The Paladin shook her head. "No, no... You can go."

Sylvanas took hold of Athrodar's hand but her focus was on Liadrin, tilting her head at the Highlord. "You do want us to be happy, right?"

"I do." Liadrin said, smiling a little at Sylvanas. "I was just hoping I could be the one to send you both home." She sighed and lowered her eyes. "I know, it sounds stupid, but over the last few years I felt like I was getting the Athrodar I knew before Arthas' invasion back."

Athrodar let go of Sylvanas' hand and made his way to Liadrin, opening his arms to her and laughing lightly when she stood up and hugged him. "It's okay, you don't sound stupid. Depite our rocky start, I feel like I can call you a good friend." He pulled back to look at the watery eyed Paladin. "We're not going anywhere far, you know that, right? You can visit us whenever."

"I know." Liadrin whispered, stepping forward and hugging him again. "I feel like Thal." She told him, making the pair of them laugh. "I will visit often, only to imprint myself on your two children so they know me as their aunty Liadrin."

Athrodar laughed once more, patting Liadrin on the head when he pulled away for a second and final time. "I expect nothing less." He told her, glancing over to Sylvanas who placed a hand on his shoulder. "If ever you change your mind and want a quiet place in the corner of the world too, you can join us."

Sylvanas nodded her head in agreement. "We would gladly have you. There is always room for someone who has helped us so much, despite starting our relationship a little rocky."

Liadrin bowed her head to the pair of them, out of habbit more than anything now because they are no longer King and Queen. "Thank you. I will consider it if the thought ever crosses my mind."

Sylvanas smiled and bowed her head to the Highlord, taking hold of Athrodar's hand and walking him out the tent, only to get stopped by Tanadia who hugged the pair of them tightly. "Oh, I'm going to miss you, little one." Sylvanas whispered, hugging her tightly. "I don't think your mother will let you visit as often as we'd all like. I know she wants to keep you close and is getting settled in the city now." She pulled back and looked at the young priestess. "I will talk to her whilst we're in Stormwind collecting our things, maybe she will allow you to visit often and who knows, you might move to Windrunner Village with us."

"I hope so." Tanadia said, hugging Athrodar next. "I don't want to lose you, papa."

"You won't." Athrodar whispered to her, kneeling down and hugging his daughter tightly. "I will also speak to your mother, see if I can convince her to open a portal for you to our home whenever you want to visit us."

"Thank you, papa." Tanadia whispered, pulling back and smiling up at Victoria who was talking to Sylvanas. "Although I do want to stay in Stormwind to be with my sister."

Victoria, overhearing her younger sibling, smiled and looked down at her. "And I want to be with you too, my sweet little sister." She said, watching Snow sniff her hand and then lick it. "And he does too."

Athrodar hugged Victoria when he stood up, being hugged tightly by the new Queen of Stormwind. "Don't feel like you have to push yourself to impress us. We are so proud of how far you have come from the Farstrider recruit we fell in love with. Just don't burn down the city and we will still be proud." The pair of them laughed and pulled back from each other, Athrodar wiping the tears that rolled down his daughter's cheeks. "I'll tell you this before your mother does. Don't let your potential enemies or even the council see your weaker side. If they can exploit anything on you, they will just to get what they want."

Victoria shook her head, wiping away her own tears. "I won't, dad. Don't worry."

Sylvanas nudged Athrodar aside and hugged her daughter for the hundredth time today, though she planned for this one to be the last. "Everything your father said is good advice, but also use your looks to get what you want." She whispered to her, hearing her daughter chuckle. "The humans are easily manipulated by our natural beauty, just ask my sister." This time they both chuckled, pulling back and pressing their heads together. "Visit us once you've finished on the Isle of Thunder, okay? Before you return to Stormwind."

"I will, mom." Victoria whispered, sniffing to try and keep her emotions in check. "I am so happy for you and I will try to do my best to keep what you have built intact. And maybe improve on a few things."

Sylvanas nodded her head against her daughter's. "I'd expect nothing less."

* * *

**A/N:**** So I am going to write Athrodar + Sylvanas out of the next ten or so chapters (After the next one) as I focus on the Throne of Thunder and the time between Victoria returning to Stormwind as Queen and the invasion of the Legion (Which will be five years after for story reasons and to bring Tanadia to sixteen/seventeen and a fully fledged priestess). **

**They will both play a part in the Legion invasion, though how they get back into the fight will be a secret that has been thought about for a good two months now, so I hope you enjoy the next few chapters as the focus shifts from my main OC and the Banshee Queen (Now former Banshee AND Queen in this story) to their adopted daughter as she takes the throne she has been groomed to take for a few years now.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Gaining Entrance**

"So this is the Isle of Thunder."

Vareesa looked to her niece and smiled. "It is, _Queen_ Victoria." She said with her tongue in her cheek.

"Stop it." Victoria said, rolling her eyes at her aunt.

"Okay, sorry." Vareesa said, holding up her hands innocently. "You came at the right time, we are an hour or two away from breaking through. The siege engines worked, but they have a magical barrier up that Jaina and her mages are working to break down." She looked over to her niece who nodded her head slowly, looking at Athrodar and Sylvanas' groups of rangers, having Sera and Cyndia placed as Captains on both groups as Seliana and Elaria have both returned to Stormwind with her parents. "Where are the rest of the Horde and Alliance forces? Are they coming to help us?"

Victoria shook her head. "Vol'jin is returning to Orgrimmar with Eitrigg as they both sort out the Darkspear Chieftain's promotion to Warchief whilst Baine is returning to Thunderbluff with the majority of the wounded. Tyrande and Velen have also returned to their respective cities. Moira however is making her way here to help out. I think she is trying to impress me now that my mother has stepped down."

Vareesa laughed lightly. "Why am I not surprised? Ironforge and Stormwind need a strong friendship and I think she knows this." She looked towards the entrance of the Mogu fortress they were trying to gain entry into. "Have fun with the Dwarves vying for your friendship."

"Stop reminding me!" Victoria cried, hearing Vareesa chuckle once more. "I just wanted to come here, help out with taking this fortress in place of my father and hopefully impress Lor'themar and the Silvermoon council enough to work closely with them."

"Aren't you training your own rangers to compete against theirs?" Vareesa asked her, grinning when a look of realisation grew on the young Queen's face. "You forgot that, didn't you?"

Victoria cleared her throat. "Well... I suppose I could work on the friendship with Ironforge when Moira gets here."

Vareesa laughed again, hooking her arm around Victoria's and lightly patting the top of her hand. "You're new to being a leader and it shows. Just rely on those you can trust and listen to your Council. They may not always give you good advice, so don't be afraid to challenge their ideas with a few questions."

"That's pretty good advice, thank you." Victoria looked towards the entrance of the fortress. "How are the twins?"

"If I know Rhonin, they're probably bored out of their minds with his lessons of the world." Vareesa chuckled lightly. "I love the man, but sometimes he can bore the hell out of me when his mind wanders off." She smiled a little when she reminded herself of the many times he had done that. "But seeing him so passionate about something makes me smile when I think back to it."

Sera and Cyndia both came up towards the new Queen with the Night Elf bowing her head to her once she stood by her side. "Both groups of rangers are updated on the situation and they are all on board with what to do."

Victoria smiled. "Thank you, Sera." She looked towards Cyndia who had forced Liadrin to let her come to the Isle of Thunder. "Are you feeling good?"

"I am, my Queen." Cyndia said. "Never felt better."

"Good." Victoria said, smiling at her new Captain. "Glad to hear it."

* * *

"We're home."

Sylvanas let out a sigh of relief, dropping her shoulders and smiling brightly as they stood outside Windrunner Manor. "Yes we are." She whispered, turning around to face him and planting a long kiss on his lips. "Would you be upset if I leave you and spend the next week alone with our children?"

Athrodar chuckled and shook his head, pressing his head against hers and closing his eyes when she took hold of his hands. "Not at all. I know you're dying to go to them right this second but are being polite by staying here with me."

"All true." Sylvanas said, chuckling lightly and kissing him once more. "Your mother is looking after them inside Windrunner Manor, right? She knows to have come here before us, right?"

"Yes, she knows." Athrodar kissed her on the nose. "You can go now. I know it's killing you to stay here."

"Thank you." Sylvanas said, letting go of him and rushing into Windrunner Manor.

Athrodar chuckled and folded his arms when he heard the many sounds of joy from both Sylvanas and their some Tahnir, glancing to his right when Elaria made her way to him. "She sounds happy."

"She is." He told his friend, looking her up and down and smirking at how casual she looked compared to her usual attire. "Making yourself at home already?"

"I am, same with Luna. Though she is currently in the process of moving around furniture and planning future redecorating ventures." Elaria couldn't help but smile when she picked up on the sound of Sylvanas talking to her children. "Shouldn't you be in there? They're your kids too."

Athrodar kept his arms folded, looking at the open door to Windrunner Manor. "I'll be there soon. I'm letting her have her alone time with them." He glanced back over to Elaria who was also watching the open door, occasionally seeing Sylvanas walking around with either Alleria or Tahnir in her arms. "Shouldn't you be in there helping Luna move the furniture around?"

"I would, but she kicked me out because, and I quote; 'the most useless person when it comes to redecorating.'"

They both laughed with Athrodar nodding his head in agreement. "You were always the one who would act before being told what to do."

Elaria shrugged her shoulders. "What can I say? Winging it normally works out."

"Unless it comes to furniture moving apparently." Athrodar grinned and took a step towards Windrunner Manor. "Now if you don't mind, I am going to go spend time with my family."

Elaria patted him on the back. "Come find me when you realise you need more me time."

Upon entering his home, Athrodar saw Sylvanas and his mother on either sides of the living room, their pair of them watching Alleria slowly waddle over to her mother who was holding her arms out to catch her. "When did she...?"

"A few days ago." Illana told him, smiling brightly when the little elf made it to Sylvanas who picked her up, hugging and kissing her shortly after. "You both also missed her first words." She told them, news to both parents especially Sylvanas who looked upset. "Don't worry. I taught her to say mama first." She looked over to her son who frowned at her. "Sorry, I couldn't teach her papa first. It would crush your wife."

"You're right, mother." Athrodar said, looking over to Sylvanas who was showering their daughter with kisses. "It has already made her so happy that I can't get upset about that." He smiled as both his children cuddled up to their mother, feeling warm in his heart as he could see how right the decision to retire had become. "This is exactly what we both need."

* * *

Victoria watched the magical ward drop from the entrance of the fortress in front of them, hearing nothing but a eerie silence. "I don't know what I expected, but silence wasn't it." She told Vareesa who nodded her head in agreement.

"No, neither did I. Perhaps they are waiting inside for an ambush." Vareesa whistled over to a group of her rangers, ordering them to send scouts in to check it out before anyone else goes inside. "Best to check before we go in with our entire army."

"Good call." Victoria told her, watching Jaina and her mages step back from the entrance of the fortress and rejoin up with Vareesa. "How long are we waiting for?"

"About ten minutes." Vareesa told her, sitting down on a nearby tree stump. "So about you being the Queen of Stormwind now." She began, moving over a little for her niece who sat down beside her. "Does that mean I have to visit you first before your parents, or I visit them first then you?"

Victoria laughed lightly and shook her head. "No, you can visit them first. I know my mother wouldn't be happy if she found out you came to me first."

"Ahh, you're learning." Vareesa patted Victoria's knee. "Good girl."

"My Lady." Sera said, standing beside them after speaking to Victoria's company. "A word?"

Victoria smiled at her aunt. "Looks like my duties as Queen have already started." She told her, standing up and following Sera away from the rest of the group. "What's up?"

"Some of our rangers have been talking to each other and Cyndia and I feel like this isn't the best course of action for you right now."

Victoria frowned at Sera. "What do you mean?"

"You've just recovered from a head injuring." Sera looked over to Snow who was napping until they were ready to storm the fortress. "Even Snow has just recovered from his injury and hasn't built his leg muscles back to where they should be." She sighed and looked back to Victoria who was looking over at Snow. "I don't want you to get yourself hurt again because you're not fully fit."

"What do you want me to do, Sera?" Victoria asked, looking back to her Captain. "I promised my father I would take over for him on this island and since we're here I can't exactly back out now."

"Then hang back and defend the rear." Sera suggested, placing a hand on her Queen's arm. "Your father was going to do that anyway, you'll just be taking over for him."

Victoria nodded slowly. "Okay. I will listen to your concern and take your advice." She stepped forward and hugged her Captain. "This is why I am going to promote you to General when we return to Stormwind. You always have my back and I am grateful for that."

Sera hugged her in return, stroking her hair as they both looked to lengthen the hug. "I'll always have your back, my Lady." The Night Elf whispered, smiling when Victoria didn't let go of her. "You already miss them, don't you?"

The Queen nodded her head against Sera's chest. "I do. When I left to explore Kalimdor, I knew what I was doing and they would be there when I get back. But now that they have stepped down and handed Stormwind over to me, I know they won't be there when I return and I'm worried the people won't accept me like they accepted my parents."

"You will be, my Lady." Sera whispered to her, kissing the Queen on the top of her head. "They know Sylvanas and Athrodar loved you more than life itself and they will love you the same." The Night Elf smiled a little as a thought crossed her mind. "Just don't piss them off and you'll be good."

Victoria laughed against her Captain's chest. "I won't." She looked towards the entrance of the Throne of Thunder and saw Valeera's scouts coming back. "Gather our rangers, Sera. We will hold up the rear of the group."

Sera smiled and bowed her head to the Queen. "Will do, my Lady."

* * *

"We should put him to bed."

Athrodar looked down at Tahnir who was sleeping in between his parents on the bench they were sitting on, smiling and nodding his head in agreement. "I will take him to his bed." He said, slowly standing up and picking up his son who insinctively hugged his neck. "You can come with me if you want. Sing him to sleep if he wakes up between here and there."

"Deal." Sylvanas said, standing up and following Athrodar to their son's room as he looked to place him in his bed. "He's awake, I win." She said, smiling at her son who yawned and smiled at her. "Hello baby, you fell asleep so we're taking you to bed."

Tahnir nodded sleepily and rubbed his eyes. "Okay."

"This wasn't a bet." Athrodar told his wife, placing Tahnir down in his bed and tucking him in. "But I guess you win, yes." He stepped back and allowed Sylvanas to kneel beside their son's bed, watching her stroke his hair and hearing her sing him a lullaby.

This went on for only a couple of minutes until Tahnir was sound asleep. "Good night, my little Prince." Sylvanas whispered, planting a soft kiss on her son's forehead and following Athrodar out the room soon after. "I don't think we made a mistake." She told him, looking up at her husband. "We get to be with our family and I have loved every second of this day."

"You're going to enjoy every day after this." Athrodar told her, cupping her cheeks with his hands. "Because we don't have to be anywhere anymore. We get to stay home, with our family," Athrodar gave his wife a soft kiss on the lips, "alone and with next to no responsibilities."

"None at all." Sylvanas whispered to him softly, smiling and leaning forward to kiss him again.

Athrodar led his wife back to the bench they were on a few minutes ago, grinning at Sylvanas when she sat on his lap and pressed her head against his, the pair of them gazing into each other's eyes. "Remember when we were alone in Stormwind Keep, in the Throne Room and I asked you a very special question?"

Sylvanas kissed him as a response, resting her head on his shoulder when she pulled away and smiled at him. "I do." She whispered, closing her eyes as Athrodar hugged her a little tighter and feeling comfort in being so close to him.

"Who should we invite for the big day?" Athrodar asked her, closing his eyes too as Sylvanas wrapped her arms around his neck. "Unless you want to keep it strictly family only."

"Just family." Sylvanas told him. "A few friends, but mostly family. A handful more than last time and I don't want it to be a big thing."

Athrodar smiled, knowing she hated the attention and understanding her reason behind having it a small gathering of family and a few friends. "My mother will be there this time. Liadrin would probably fight Luna to host the ceremony and I think the Draenei will step down to let her do it."

"Do I have to wear a dress?" Sylvanas asked, opening her eyes to watch him chuckle.

"Of course not. If you don't want to, you don't have to." Athrodar stroked her hair when he saw her close her eyes again. "Although..."

Sylvanas sighed and shook her head, though she was smiling the whole time. "You want me to wear one, don't you?"

"Only so I can rip it off you when we're alone." Athrodar told her, tilting his head a little so it was resting against hers. "But I won't force you."

"Good, I won't wear one." Sylvanas smiled when Athrodar chuckled, still having him stroke her hair. "Glad that's sorted." She whispered, snuggling into him. "Can you believe Alleria is already walking? It only feels like yesterday that she was born."

"And talking, don't forget that." Athrodar reminded her, planting another kiss on the top of her head. "And no, I can't believe it." He sighed a little which caught his wife's attention. "Did we miss out on too much by going back to Pandaria?"

"Of course not." Sylvanas told him, placing a hand flat on his chest to keep that connection to his heart as she sat up to look at him. "We done what we had to do, but we didn't miss out on anything. Your mother told us she has only just started walking and talking."

"I suppose you're right." Athrodar said, having Sylvanas place her head back on his chest and her ear above his heart.

The two of them sat in silence for the next ten minutes, Sylvanas listening to his heartbeat and syncing her own with his beat. Athrodar however, was listening to the sound of the tide coming in as it both calmed him and reminded him that he was now safe in the arms of the woman he loves. "Tired?" He asked when she yawned in his ear.

"Yes, but I don't want to move." Sylvanas whispered to him, keeping a smile on her face as she continued to listen to Athrodar's heartbeat. "Especially if my favourite song is continuously drumming in my ear."

"Then why don't I get a blanket to keep us warm if you want to stay out here?"

Sylvanas shook her head and held onto Athrodar tightly. "No, don't move. We used to camp out in these forests when we were rangers and kept warm with other rangers." She began to smile when a thought crossed her mind. "If only you were in my company, I would have taken you with me every time we had to keep warm."

"That is something I do not remember." Athrodar whispered to her, hearing her chuckle. "What? This is where you tell me you know who I partnered with, isn't it?"

"I tasked Viraleth with being that person. That's why she doesn't like to be near us when we're having sex, other than the obvious." Sylvanas smiled brighter. "It makes her feel uncomfortable with knowing that she had to sleep beside you to keep you both warm."

Athrodar began to chuckle this time, kissing the top of Sylvanas' head. "Okay, fair enough. I understand a little more about why she likes to keep some distance between the two of us."

"She is a loyal friend that I can't imagine never having." Sylvanas kissed Athrodar's cheek and moved her mouth to his ear. "I think we should lay down, so we can get comfortable and sleep."

Athrodar laughed lightly and agreed to her idea, laying down on the bench and moving the cushions behind his head so he could get comfortable, having Sylvanas lay bedside him with her ear still pressed against his chest. "Better?"

"Much." She whispered, feeling comfort and protection as Athrodar's arms wrapped around her. "Goodnight, my love."

"Goodnight." Athrodar whispered to her in return. "If this becomes a regular thing, I know for sure this was a good idea."

Sylvanas let out a throaty chuckle. "Good." She snuggled in closer to her husband to both keep warm and to be as close to him as physically possible. "Then we can do this often."

* * *

"Trolls?" Victoria asked, pulling out the arrow stuck in the Troll's chest beneath her. "I thought we were fighting the Mogu?"

"We are." Lor'Themar said, glancing back to the new Queen of Stormwind. "Perhaps they have some sort of long lasting Alliance between the two races."

"They're Zandalari." Jaina told them, moving one of the dead Trolls with her staff so she could see their face. "I remember learning about them as a child, my father..." The Archmage stopped her train of thought, though she kept her eyes on the Troll beneath her. "To see them this far out must mean they are expanding their empire again."

"We will make sure they don't make a stronghold of this ancient Mogu fortress." Vareesa said, looking over to Lor'Themar and Halduron who were leading their group. "After you."

Victoria held up the rear with Vareesa, walking beside her aunt who was scanning their surroundings. "How many Trolls do you think we will run into here?"

"I couldn't say." Vareesa told her, glancing to her niece who was also scanning their surroundings. "I hope it's not an entire army, since we will have to face the Mogu too."

"And yet, I feel like it's going to be an entire army." Victoria muttered, hearing a fight break out in the courtyard between Lor'themar's group and the Zandalari.

"Stay here." Vareesa said, nocking an arrow in place on her bow. "They could have secret passages back here to flank us."

Sera stood beside the her Queen who looked mildy frustrated with hanging back. "It's for the best." She whispered to the Sin'dorei, leaning on the grip of her glaive. "And if we are attacked from behind, you will be protecting everyone in that courtyard by keeping the ambushers at bay."

Victoria smiled a little and nodded her head at her Captain. "You're right." She looked over to Cyndia who was waiting nearby. "Cyndia, spread our rangers out and keep a look out for any small passages that the enemy can use to outflank us."

Cyandia bowed her head to the Queen. "Right away, my Lady."

Victoria sat down beside Snow who was laying on the ground, moving his head to her lap and hearing him purr the second she began to stroke him. "Take it easy, little one. Okay?" She whispered to her Nightsaber. "You're not as strong as you can be and I don't want you to injure yourself."

Sera sat down beside her Queen, petting Snow too but keeping her gaze on Victoria who was staring at Snow. "So what's your plan for when we return to Stormwind?"

"The second we return to Stormwind, I have to address the council and then the city as their new Queen. Only then can I start what I actually want to do."

"Which is?" Sera asked, watching a smile slowly creep on her Queen's face.

"I'll get my girls to clear out my parent's bedroom, cleaning it, burning the sheets and getting a whole new spread just for me." She looked over to Sera after hearing her laugh lightly. "What? It's bad enough I know that they were doing it regularly in there."

Sera continued to laughed, placing a hand on her Queen's shoulder and squeezing it lightly. "I can understand why you would do that." She kissed the top of her head when Victoria leaned on her shoulder. "And since when did you start calling your servants your 'girls'?"

"Are they not?" Victoria asked, sitting up and looking at her Captain. "They love me and I love them." She watched Sera raise an eyebrow at her, rolling her eyes at the Captain. "As much as a Queen can love her servants. I won't trade you for any of them."

"Good." Sera said with a smile, pulling her Queen's head back down to her shoulder. "So what else? They will clear out your parents room, clean it and make it yours with a whole new bed spread. Then what?"

"I suppose I just rule." Victoria said with a tone that sounded a little lost. "I don't really know what to do though. I'll have to rely on the council a lot, but I hope I can rely on you as well."

"You can, my Lady." Sera told her, kissing the top of her head. "I'll make sure that you don't do anything that could ruin your reputation."

"Thank you." Victoria whispered to her. "Now we just have to wait for the fight to finish, or for an ambush."


	19. Chapter 19

**War-God Jalak**

"Are we sure being here is the right move?" Cyndia asked, looking over to her Queen who was napping on Snow. "I still don't think she is fully recovered."

"She's not, but she was insistent on coming here in place of her father." Sera shrugged her shoulders and looked over to Victoria too. "The best we can do is keep her in the back of the army, protecting the rear as we push our way through."

"How long do you think she will endure that?" Cyndia now asked. "You know she doesn't like to take orders."

"I know." Sera said with a smile. "I can only imagine she will enjoy giving orders a lot more once we return to Stormwind."

Cyndia laughed and nodded her head in agreement. "Perhaps that's why she wants to be Queen."

"I wouldn't put it past her." Sera said, watching the Queen sleep peacefully on Snow. "She will have to wake up soon, I can't imagine the fighting will be going on for much longer."

"Victoria?" Vareesa called, entering the area they were all waiting in.

"Speak of the devil." Sera said, looking over to the Ranger-General. "Ready to move on?" She asked the moment Vareesa looked over to her.

"Yes, the courtyard is clear, we are moving down a series of bridges next." Vareesa looked back to Victoria who remained asleep. "Wake her up?"

"Sure." Sera crouched down beside Victoria and began to shake her lightly, hearing her moan and groan at being woken up earlier than she wanted. "Come on, my Lady. It's time to move out."

Victoria groaned, sat up and stretched her arms above her head, looking over to her aunt who was grinning at her. "Is it over?"

"Far from it, little one." Vareesa told her. "We cleared the courtyard and the huge troll that stood watch over that area. He took out a few of our rangers, but Jaina and her mages managed to slow him down enough to be dealt with."

Victoria picked up her bow and slung it over her shoulder, looking down to Snow who stretched beside her and letting out a huge yawn before shaking his body awake. "I think we're ready to go. All was quiet on our end."

"I can see that." Vareesa said with a smirk, stroking some of her niece's hair back into her hood. "Perhaps I should give you something to do if you have time to sleep."

"Hah." Victoria rubbed the back of her neck. "I was just closing my eyes, that's all."

"Uh huh." Vareesa muttered, shaking her head. "Come on, let's go."

With Victoria and her group bringing up the rear once more, the army of elves and humans, now partnered with the Dark Iron who arrived just as they were crossing the two bridges leading them to their next fight, were outside what sounded like an arena. Sounds of cheering and taunting ringing out around them as they got closer to the doors that were shut but not locked.

"This doesn't sound too good." Jaina said, looking over to Vareesa who nodded her head in agreement. "We may need everyone for this fight if we are to step into an arena, surrounded by the enemy."

The Ranger-General looked back to her niece who was talking to Sera about the arena in front of them. "She is still too injured for a proper fight." Vareesa whispered before letting out a small sigh. "But if it's needed, I'll talk to her."

"How many do you think are in there?" Victoria asked her Captain.

"I couldn't say." Sera replied, looking down at her Queen who stood closely by her side. "Enough to make so much sound that we heard them before we even got across the second bridge."

"Do you think we will have to stay back again? Or do you think we will be able to fight this time?" The young Queen asked, looking up at her Captain.

"You are going to be needed. All of you are." Vareesa told them when she was close enough to hear their conversation. "We don't know what we are going to face, or how many, so we all have to be inside, watching each other's backs."

"Okay, lead the way."

Sera watched her Queen follow Vareesa into the arena once the doors were pushed open, interrupting the fight between two Zandalari Trolls and quickly shooting them full of arrows when they began to charge towards them. "My Lady, are you sure about this?" The Night Elf asked once they were all stood in the middle of the arena, having one of the Zandalari yell out their new challenger. "I still think you're too injured to -"

"Enough, Sera." Victoria said with a stern tone. "I am here to help, if that means I have to get my hands dirty, then so be it." She nocked an arrow in place on her bow and scanned the area. "Now either help me or return to Stormwind."

"Looks like I am helping you, my Lady." Sera whispered, holding onto her glaive tightly and pointing in front of her to hopefully ward off anyone thinking of attacking her.

"Dese intrudah's come here to stop da Tundah King's plans! Kill dem where dey stand!" The lead Zandalari yelled, smashing the chain beside him with his axe and dropping a gate containing a giant, four legged, three horned beast that began to charge towards the elves, Dark Iron Dwarves and humans in the middle of the arena. "Good luck wid da great warbeast of da Zandalari!"

"That's not good." Sera said, dragging Victoria aside and being swarmed by her rangers. "How are we going to kill that?"

"With a lot of arrows." Lor'themar told her, letting loose an arrow towards the warbeast.

"It's a direhorn!" Jaina yelled, casting an ice spell towards the warbeast to slow it down. "They're native to the Zandalari and have very tough hide. Piercing it with arrows will be difficult."

"Well.. It's not like that majority of us have arrows or anything." Victoria muttered, glancing over to Sera who watched several Zandalari climb down from the stands around the arena, hitting the stoned floor and unsheathing their axes and throwing their spears, taking out a few unaware mages and rangers.

Jaina was being aided by a few of her mages, slowing down the warbeast some more so it wasn't as big of a threat as it first posed. "Take out the trolls!" The Archmage yelled, trying to concentrate entirely on the Direhorn.

"Da Farraki Tribe!" The main Troll yelled. "Show da intrudah's what it means to face da followahs of da Tundah King!"

"I'll show that annoying bastard what it means to face an elf." Cyndia spat, nocking an arrow in place, drawing it back and letting it loose in one of the Farraki trolls, repeating the process for every one she could see enter the arena. "He's too much of a coward to come down and face us himself."

"Hah!" The troll laughed out loud after overhearing Cyndia. "I am War-God Jalak! I am afraid of notting!" He yelled, climbing down and mounting the warbeast, breaking the ice spell that was slowing it down. "Gurubashi, come. Join da fight!"

"Shit..." Cyndia muttered, ducking under a swinging axe and slicing her blade across the troll's stomach. "This is not what I wanted."

"No, thanks for that." Sera muttered, shaking her head. "I suppose we best double down our efforts."

Victoria watched Snow pounce at a nearby Gurubashi Troll, letting loose an arrow into a second and running to her Nightsaber's side as he ripped a hole in the Troll's chest with his claws. "Good boy, now don't overwork yourself. We still have this entire fortress to fight through."

Snow let out a lowl growl, climbing off the Troll and standing beside his mother who let loose another arrow, licking one of his paws that had blood on it. "If he lasts the entire fight through the fortress." Vareesa reminded her, finding herself beside the new Queen of Stormwind after War-God Jalak mounted the warbeast and split their group. "You can't push him into fighting if he is exhausted."

"I won't." Victoria told her, moving out the way of a charging Troll who became impaled by Sera who stuck him with her glaive. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, my Lady." Sera said, pulling out the glaive and sticking by her Queen's side as she began to move towards the opposite side of the arena. "How are we going to get out of this?" She now asked once several of her rangers surrounded the Queen. "They still have a sizeable amount of Trolls in the stands, waiting to attack us."

"I think we may have to clear them all out before moving on." Victoria told her, looking down at Snow who was keeping low behind her. "And it may have to be sooner rather than later. Like my aunt said, I can't afford to have Snow fight for too long."

Sera looked over to the Dark Iron Dwarves who were accompanying them, watching them form a shield wall and block most, if not all of the spears. "The Dwarves might draw most of their attention. If we focus on taking out the War-God, we may just survive this."

"My Drakkari and Amani cousins, join ya Zandalari bruddah's with taking out dese intrudahs!" War-God Jalak laughed atop the warbeast, turning it around so he was facing Victoria and her rangers. "Dis little one be mine."

Lor'themar and Halduron were letting loose arrows into the Amani and Drakkari Trolls that climbed down into the arena near them, the Ranger-General of Silvermoon slowly smilnig as he fought side by side with his friend. "This brings me back to when we were just mere rangers, fighting the Amani together."

"A simpler time?" Lor'themar asked him, getting a laugh in response. "Indeed it was."

"A time where you could see with both eyes." Halduron then joked, dodging under a Troll's axe and coming face to face with another, seconds before it fell to the floor as Lor'themar had stuck it with an arrow. "Though I can see having one eye hasn't slowed you down."

"Even with just the one, I am saving your ass." The Regent Lord looked over to Victoria who's group was being pinned down by the War-God, his Direhorn and the Zandalari Trolls who were helping him take out the Queen. "We should help Victoria, she is taking the full force of the Zandalari."

Halduron looked over to the Queen and nodded in agreement, moving forward with a group of his rangers whilst the rest helped Grand Magister Rommath and his mages deal with the Amani. "We've got your back, my Lady." He said, cutting down two Zandalari.

"Thank you." Victoria replied, helping up some of her Rangers whilst the War-God backed away from them. "We were being overrun quicker than I thought possible."

"It's good we helped when we did." The Regent-Lord said, looking over the Queen to check her or injuries. "Your mother would have killed us if we left you to fend for yourself."

Victoria watched Moira and her Dark Iron Dwarves break their shield wall and charge towards the War-God and his Direhorn, scaring the beast and knocking Jalak off the saddle. "Slay teh beast and kill thah Troll!" Moira commanded, casting a holy spell towards a group of Trolls charging her and her guard and burning a few of them before smacking them with her hammer. "Ah! Tis good teh be fightin' again!"

Standing up, War-God Jalak held up his spear and parried a strike from one of the dwarves charging after him, sticking his weapon into their chest and stumbling backwards as he had twisted his ankle upon falling off his Direhorn. "Kill dem!" He yelled, using the butt of the spear to keep him standing. "Dey cannot interrupt da Tundah King!"

As Jaina and her mages, partnered with the Grand Magister and his mages, slowed down the Direhorn enough to make it an easy target for Vareesa and her rangers, Lor'themar, Halduron and Victoria engaged with the remaining Trolls with the Regent Lord fighting against the War-God in personal combat. "The beast is down." Sera told her Queen once the Direhorn was killed, deflecting a spear with her glaive and thrusting it into the troll who threw the projectile. "Their numbers are dwindling."

"Then let's not sit back and allow them to regroup." Lor'themar said, pushing forward with his rangers, followed by Halduron and then Victoria, all three groups pushing back the Trolls and surrounding the War-God alongside the Dark Iron Dwarves. "It's over, Jalak." The Regent Lord said, pointing his sword at the Troll. "Lay down your weapons and we will spare your life."

"I will nevah surrendah!" War-God Jalak yelled, lifting up his axe to swing it down at the Regent Lord and being stuck by several arrows from the rangers behind Lor'themar.

"Good." Victoria muttered, sitting down beside Snow shortly after and looking around the arena, trying to count the dead on their side. "I suppose it's a good thing they lost a lot more than we did. Though I still don't like that we lost some."

"It's a part of war." Sera told her, sitting down beside her Queen. "Just be happy they did lose more. A lot more. Coming down into the arena in groups like that was for show more than for a tactical play. They lost the second they began to climb down."

Victoria stroked Snow on top of his head, leaning back against the side of the arena whilst the mages began to open portals to the camp in Kun-Lai Summit for the injured and the slain. "I don't know how many more Generals, or War-God's we have to face in here, but we're two down and I feel like we've just scraped the surface."

"If the rest of the fights are like this, I don't think we have to worry, my Lady." Sera told her, moving an arm around her Queen when she rested her head on the Night Elf's shoulder. "And besides this one, we are taking up the rear. So we don't have to worry about that fighting as much as they do."

Victoria sighed and nodded her head slowly. "I know, but I feel like I am not pulling my weight if I have to stay behind all the time."

"Vareesa has explained to them why you're guarding the rear the whole time." Sera whispered to her Queen, kissing the top of her head. "And you know why too. You're not fully fit and it's the safest place for you since you want to be here."

"Then I suppose I best get comfortable with looking at the back of everyone." Victoria muttered, closing her eyes as her head remained rested against her Captain's shoulder. "Clean up will take some time, so wake me up when we're moving."

"Will do, my Lady." Sera whispered, kissing the top of her head once more.

* * *

"What have your scouts reported?"

Vareesa shifted her gaze from her lead scout to Lor'themar who asked the question. "We are facing more Trolls once we leave this arena. There looks to be four of them waiting outside the inner sanctum of this fortress. The same trolls we had here, Drakkari, Farraki, Amani and Gurubashi."

"Just those four?" Jaina asked.

"They have followers, but they seem to be the next obstacle in the way." Vareesa told them all. "I've been told to not expect much resistance, so getting to them should be easy. I just don't know how it will go if four of them are standing in our way."

"They will posses strength." Grand Magister Rommath said. "Four Trolls against an army? I don't think this will be as easy as the numbers suggest."

"Then we go in thinking we will get a fight." Halduron suggested. "It's better to be over prepared than under. That way we can deal with whatever they throw at us instead of thinking it will be a cake walk and getting slain in the process."

"And what about her?" Jaina asked, looking over to Victoria who had drifted off to sleep shortly after the fighting was done. "If what you say is true, she is in no condition to fight the whole way through."

Vareesa sighed. "I will talk to her. Tell her to return to Stormwind where she will be needed a lot more than she is here." She looked over to Victoria and frowned. "This is the second time I've caught her sleeping whilst we've been here. Perhaps this is no place for her."

Sera nudged her Queen lightly to wake her up, hearing Victoria groan and feeling her lift her head up off her shoulder. "Your aunt is comign this way."

Victoria yawned and rubbed her eyes, looking up at Vareesa. "What's up? Are we moving on."

"We are, yes. You're going back to Stormwind."

Victoria frowned at her aunt. "I'm sorry? No, I'm staying here. I have to take over for my father."

"And you can, just not here." Vareesa crouched down and placed a hand on her arm. "Stormwind needs their Queen now, since your mother and father have left. You can keep your rangers here if you and they so wish. Though don't feel you have to."

"Why are you talking like I have agreed to this? I'm not leaving, Vareesa." Victoria said, standing up and looking down at her aunt who remained crouched, though not for much longer. "My place is here with all of you until we have cleared this fortress."

Vareesa sighed. "It's not, Victoria. I wasn't asking, I was telling you. Jaina and her mages will set a portal up for you to return to Stormwind when you're ready." The Ranger-General began to walk away, glancing back at her niece. "You have ten minutes to get ready however before they teleport you there themselves."

"Wait." Victoria sighed and looked down at Snow. "Fine... Tell her to ready the portal, we will leave now."

"My Lady." Sera said, standing up beside her. "Are you sure?"

"Didn't you hear her? I have no choice." Victoria looked to her aunt and shook her head. "I am not happy with this, but since I have no other choice, I might as well go now."

Vareesa smiled a little at her, though she knew she wasn't at all pleased with any of them. "I will send a messenger to Liadrin that you have returned to Stormwind. She will undoubtably see you within the hour to check up on you."

Victoria woke Snow up and began speaking to her rangers, telling them of the situation and having the majority of them choose to follow her to Stormwind. "I won't have any bad blood for those who are staying. Just survive, fight hard and return to me with your lives. And hopefully a story or two of how this all went."

Cyandia nodded her head, opting to lead those that were staying. "We will, my Lady. I promise to return as many of your rangers as possible to you."

Victoria hugged her new Captain, looking over to Sera who was waiting with Snow beside the portals that had opened up to Stormwind. "Take care of yourself Cyndia. There will be a new uniform and office waiting for you in Stormwind when you return."

"Thank you, my Lady." Cyndia said, watching her Queen walk through the portal into Stormwind before it closed behind her.


	20. Chapter 20

**First Issue of the Day**

Victoria stood in front of her mother's throne for the last half an hour, she wasn't sure as to why but she was a little scared to sit down on the throne.

"It's been thirty-five minutes, my Lady." Sera commented, standing just behind her. "I'm sure nothing will happen when you sit on it."

"I know, it's just... If I sit down on the throne, I will complete the process of my mother handing me the crown. I want to be a Princess for as long as possible before I sit on the throne and become Queen."

Sera smiled and looked down at the floor. "If you want, I can always call you 'My Princess' when we're alone in your room?"

Victoria chuckled lightly and shook her head. "No. I think being called a Queen would be much better." She stretched a hand forward and placed it on the arm rest of the throne. "I just don't know if I'm ready."

"You are, my Lady." Sera told her, watching Snow walk passed the two of them and lay down beside the throne. "Even Snow thinks so. He's waiting for you to sit down."

Victoria took a deep breath and nodded her head slowly, taking two steps forward until she was standing directly in front of her mother's throne, spinning around and slowly sitting down on it. "I was so excited for this day and now that it's here... I am nervous."

Sera smiled as she watched her Queen pick at the arm of the throne, just like Sylvanas did when she was sitting there. "You'll be fine. The people are going to love you and the council will help you every step of the way should you need it." The Night Elf looked back at the sound of plated feet coming their way, bowing her head once to Liadrin who had just returned from Pandaria. "Lady Liadrin."

"So, you're not on the Isle of Thunder after all." The Paladin said, folding her arms and looking at Victoria who was a little annoyed by recent events. "Vareesa spoke some sense into you I see."

"A little." Victoria muttered, not looking at the Paladin. "I don't know why. I was perfectly fine where I was."

"Uhuh..." Liadrin hummed unconvincingly. "Is that why Vareesa's messenger told me you were returning to Stormwind to rest and get your health back?"

"I... Damn it." Victoria sighed and looked over to Liadrin. "Yes. That's why I'm here."

"Good." Liadrin smiled at her. "Then I hope you know why I'm -"

"Victoria!" A voice cried, the owner of it running passed the Paladin and towards the Queen, jumping at her when she stood up and hugging her tightly. "I missed you."

Victoria smiled and hugged her sister, laughing at her comment. "I was gone for a day."

"I still missed you." Tanadia said, hugging her sister tighter.

"Aren't you supposed to be with your mother?" Liadrin asked, prying the young priestess off her sister. "She is expecting you any minute now."

"Oh yeah..." Tanadia smiled up at Victoria. "I'll be right back." She looked down at Snow and petted the top of his head, smiling a little wider when he began to purr. "Especially for you."

Liadrin watched her apprentice leave, turning back to face Victoria who leaned back on her throne. "As I was saying. I hope you know why I'm here. I have to check up on you since you left before I could properly discharge you." The Paladin took two steps towards the Queen, engulfing one of her hands in holy light and extending it slowly towards her. "Shall we pick up where we left off?"

Victoria pulled down her hood and turned her head so Liadrin could see the injury. "Let's get this over with."

* * *

After twenty minutes of healing from Liadrin and then close to an hour long meeting with the council members, Victoria was finally left alone, though not for long. She was warned by the council before returning to the throne room that there is a backlog of citizens that need to be dealt with, something she was just noticing now as she sat down on the throne. "Crap..." She muttered, glancing over to Sera and Thal'ena, the Mage being present for her first day in charge and wanting to uphold her title of Royal Magister for a bit longer.

"I'm sure there will be nothing major." Thal'ena whispered to her Queen, leaning closer in the meantime to keep their conversation private. "And if there is, you have a new General now who will uphold whatever task you command her to do."

Victoria glanced over to Sera who was watching the first group of civilians make their way towards the throne. "That is true..." Her gaze switched over to the Magister on her right. "And what about you?"

"If there's anything of magical nature, I will be the first one on it." Thal'ena told her, bowing her head to the Queen when she caught her gaze. "I never asked. Did you know Viraleth has gone to Silvermoon to become a Ranger of Quel'Thalas once more?"

Victoria sighed and nodded her head slowly. "I knew. I just wish she would have talked to me about it, maybe said goodbye before she left." The Queen looked down at Snow who was laying down beside her throne. "I'm sure she has her reasons, but it still hurt, you know?"

"I know, my Lady." Thal'ena said, looking towards the first citizen of the day who was standing in front of them. "This one is yours."

"Your Grace, first off I'd like to give my thanks to you and your family for providing the Druids and Shaman to Westfall. Since their arrival, our crop growth as boomed. We are showing increases of up to two hundred percent!" The farmer sounded very excited by the news he was sharing, smiling at Victoria who couldn't help but smile back at this good news. "This is the sort of harvests we were getting before the First War."

"That sounds fantastic." Victoria said with a smile that lit up the room. "But I have to ask, is this why you came to the Capital?"

"No, your Grace. There is something else." The farmer looked back to a group of people who had a handful of injuries from deep cuts on their foreheads to a broken arm or leg. "We were recently attacked by Gnolls who looked to steal our harvest, your Grace. We came here to ask if you could send someone to deal with them? The great harvest is happening soon and with that comes a lot of easy targets for the Gnolls."

Victoria put up her hand to stop the farmer from explaining any more, looking over to Sera who bowed her head at her Queen. "My General will be right on it, you have nothing to worry about."

The farmer, relieved all of them didn't come to the Capital for nothing, smiled and bowed his head to the Queen. "Thank you, your Grace."

"It was nothing." Victoria said with a smile. "Is there anything else?"

"Actually yes, your Grace. Your parents came to the first Great Harvest of their rule and I was wondering if you would like to attend this year? It will be a great sign of good things to come in the future."

Victoria kept the smile of her face and nodded her head. "I would love to."

"Great! I will tell the organisers of your acceptance to their offer. Thank you again, your Grace." And with that, the farmer bowed his head and left with the group of people he travelled from Westfall with.

Victoria sat back on her throne and glanced over to Thal'ena who began to smirk, frowning at the Royal Magister. "What?"

"Nothing, my Lady. Except that I have a feeling you have no idea what you have just agreed to join." Thal'ena saw the Queen begin to realise she had no idea what she had signed up for and began to smile at her. "Would you like to know?"

"Please." Victoria said, catching a glimpse of Sera taking a handful of rangers and leave Stormwind Keep to deal with the Gnolls. "I hope it's what I'm thinking."

"And what are you thinking?" Thal'ena asked, standing beside the throne and folding her arms, watching the Queen think about her answer.

"That it's a party of some sort? With a lot of food."

Thal'ena smiled at her Queen. "Sure, that's the simplest way of putting it. But it's much more than that, believe me. I have been to all the ones your parents went to whilst you were travelling Kalimdor and they are anything but just a party. Sometimes it gets... out of hand."

Victoria frowned at the Royal Magister. "How so? What happens?"

"They Harvest Festival, which is what he is on about, happens in the middle of Brewfest. Which is going on this second and has been for a week now whilst you've all been on Pandaria. I was about to have some personal fun of my own until your mother summoned me to the Temple of the White Tiger to be cured of my corruption. To which I am thankful." The Royal Magister smirked at the new Queen who was putting two and two together. "The Great Harvest they have invited you to will involve a lot of beer, which means the party will be more than just food and the occasional drink, so don't be surprised if you see some questionable stuff."

"Like?"

"Well, for instance... There might be some really drunk guys there who may try to talk you into doing something for them, forgetting you are the Queen." Thal'ena smirked at Victoria. "Though I wouldn't turn them down."

"That's because you're desperate." The Queen commented, making her Royal Magister gasp out loud.

"Hey! I am not." She saw Victoria roll her eyes. "Okay maybe a little, but you were so persuasive."

"I put my hand on your knee and you were practically ready to go." Victoria told her.

"Fair point."

Victoria caught a glimpse of two human women leaving from the servents quarters, recognising them as her mother's and raising an eyebrow as they began to make their way passed the throne. "What are you two up to?" She asked, stopping them both in their tracks.

"Collecting the last of our things, my Lady." Raven said, bowing her head to the Queen. "Lady Sylvanas has offered us one of the homes in Windrunner Village and we, all of us who serve her, are moving in to serve your mother even if she's not the Queen anymore."

Victoria nodded her head slowly, a little impressed at how loyal they were, even if they didn't have to serve her parents anymore. "Then I wish you both well. My parents are lucky to have such loyal people around them."

"I wish you all the best, my Lady." Scarlette said, taking hold of Raven's hand and leading her out of Stormwind Keep shortly after.

"Your mother is going to bring them into bed with your father." Thal'ena commented, watching Victoria cover her ears. "When you react like that, it makes it all the more fun to say these things."

Victoria groaned, covering her face with her hands. "I wished you went with my parents now."

Thal'ena chuckled and lightly placed her hand on her Queen's shoulder. "Don't worry, I won't tease you as often now that you're Queen."

Victoria looked at the Royal Magister's hand on her arm. "Good, thank you."

* * *

Over the next few days, Victoria was quickly getting into the rhythm of waking up, getting prepared for court and then sitting on her throne for several hours, dealing with issues in her new Kingdom, having Sera back by her side after three days when she reported in after a successful mission in Westfall clearing out the Gnolls. Once she was finished with court, around the middle of the afternoon, she would either walk around the park to get some fresh air as well as peace and quiet, or she would spend time with her sister. Both activities involved Snow, the latter more so as the young priestess would play with him whilst Victoria stood nearby, watching her Snow rebuild the muscles in his leg.

"He loves what you're doing." Victoria told her sister, watching her move a ball of light around the room that was keeping Snow's attention.

Tanadia giggled and continued to move the ball of light around the room, watching Snow chase it, pounce on it and try to eat it, only for the spell to fly out of his grasp and towards the opposite side of the room. "This is just something I have been learning in my free time." Tanadia's smile brightened when Snow pounced on the ball of light once more. "I wanted to play with him and I think I got just the thing."

Victoria laughed when Snow, wide eyed and excited, looked around for the light ball that Tanadia deliberately made disappear, the Queen watching it reappear behind him and whistling to get his attention. "There it is." She said, pointing to the ball of light and smiling brightly when Snow began to pounce at it again.

There was a knock at the door that caught Victoria's attention as well as Tanadia's with the young priestess looking up at her sister. "Do you have to go?"

"Let me just see." Victoria said, smiling at her sister whilst making her way to the door, opening it up to find one of her guards standing there. "What is it?"

"A messenger, your Grace. From Theramore."

Victoria frowned at the guard. "Jaina is back already? I haven't gotten word from Cyndia yet about the success of the siege."

"I don't know, your Grace. He just said it is important."

Victoria sighed and nodded her head slowly. "Fine..." She looked back to Tanadia who looked a little saddened after overhearing their conversation. "You can stay here with Snow. I don't think I will need him."

Tanadia began to smile brightly. "Okay!"

Making her way to the Throne Room, Victoria locked eyes with the messenger for a brief second before standing beside Sera who in return was standing beside the throne. "Did he mention anything?" She whispered to her General.

"Nothing, my Lady. Only that it was important and for you to be here as soon as possible."

Victoria nodded once and thanked her General before sitting down on her throne. "You may speak." She said, watching the messenger walk towards her.

"Good afternoon, your Grace. As you may have been told, I came all the way from Theramore to deliver some important news."

"I have been told, yes." Victoria leaned back on the throne. "What news?"

"You have a visitor waiting for you in the Cathedral Square. They didn't want to meet here as it would bring too much attention to them." The messenger bowed his head to the Queen. "It is urgent, your Grace."

Victoria frowned and looked over to Sera who was frowning back at her. "What do you think?" He asked the Night Elf.

"I'm not sure, my Lady. We should check it out if it's urgent." Sera looked over to the messenger who kept his head low. "I don't know what is so important however that they couldn't show their face."

Victoria, after only sitting down for a minute, stood back up and walked towards the messenger. "Lead me to them. I will attend this meeting with whomever sent you." She looked back to Sera. "Along with my General."

"I..." The messenger shook his head and smiled at the Queen. "That's fine, your Grace. I'm sure they wouldn't mind."

Both Sera and Victoria followed the messenger to the Cathedral Square, entering an empty house and being told to wait at the table that was oddly placed in the middle of the room they were standing in. "Who do you think it is?" Sera asked her Queen, watching Victoria shrug her shoulders.

"I have no idea." Victoria whispered back to her, watching the messenger leave the house before both women locked eyes with a third, a Sin'dorei woman and then a young human man shortly after. "Anduin?" The Queen asked, watching the human pull his hood down and smile at the Queen.

"It's good to see you again, Victoria. Sorry to have done this under such strange circumstances, but I don't want anyone to know I was here." The former Prince looked to Valeera who travelled with him and snuck him into the city, placing a hand on her arm to get her to look at him. "You can stand down, I told you I trust her."

Victoria glanced over her shoulder and towards Sera, nodding once at her and watching her relax before turning her attention back to Anduin. "Why are you here? What about your father? What would he think?"

"My father has been difficult as of late, I will admit that. But seeing as we are no longer a royal family, and that I have nothing to inherit so to speak, I have come here. With Valeera's aid of course."

"But why?" Victoria asked, pressing Anduin for an answer. "Why would you risk your relationship with your father, who hates us so much?"

"Because I am still connected to the light. There are no good teachers, if any, at Theramore. I have come here to become a priest under the guidance of Lady Liadrin. I am just hoping you can help me." Anduin smiled at Victoria. "So can you help me?"

"The second you enter the cathedral, everyone is going to know it's you." Victoria told him, watching him shake his head with a smile and wave away her concern.

"I know that. I just didn't want chatter before the big reveal."

"Why now?" Sera asked, keeping quiet until then. "Why not shortly after her parents took Stormwind?"

"My father." Anduin admitted. "He hates your parents. He hates you too, but not as much. Not even close. I'm hoping, if he sees I am safe here, that you're not as bad as he believes, he will come around to the idea of working with you. I know aunty Jaina is desperate to work with Stormwind again, but she doesn't want to offend her King... Former King."

"I suppose I can understand that. Has she returned from the Isle of Thunder yet?"

"She hasn't, no. But she said they are closing in on Lei-Shen. Something about finishing the siege tomorrow? It was a very brief message." Anduin stepped towards Victoria. "How have you been?"

"I have been good, thank you for asking." Victoria looked him up and down, inspecting his person. "You look... Older too. When did we last see each other?"

"Almost a year ago now." Anduin told her, making the Queen laugh lightly.

"Time flies so fast when you don't notice it. You have grown a lot since then too." She commented, giving the former Prince a warm smile. "I'll see what I can do with Liadrin. She has been in a good mood the last couple of days, so I should think she will accept you without much arguing." She waved Anduin over when she began to leave, beckoning him to follow.

As they left the house however, they ran into Tanadia who was riding on Snow who was sniffing out the Queen. "Found you!" Tanadia cried, petting Snow behind the ear. "Good boy."

"What are you doing here? I thought you were playing with Snow." Victoria pet Snow on the head, scratching him behind the ear when he bumped his head against her leg. "Sorry about this." She said, looking back at Anduin. "My sister was meant to be in the Keep."

Anduin smiled and waved away her concern once more. "That's okay."

Victoria helped her sister off Snow. "Tanadia, this is..." She looked over to Anduin who nodded his head. "This is Anduin Wrynn. He has come here to train with you and the other priests and priestess'."

Tanadia smiled up at Anduin, knowing the name sounded familiar but not knowing why. "Come with me. The teacher is my aunty Li Li, she loves me so much I think I can get you into the class." She took hold of his hand, leading Anduin towards the Cathedral.

Victoria began to laugh lightly, looking over to Valeera who had a smile on her face, watching Anduin be taken away by the younger priestess. "What have you been up to since you arrived in Theramore?" The Queen asked her.

"Looking out for Anduin and for my King." Valeera told Victoria, not looking at the Queen. "We have heard a lot about what your parents have done to this city the moment they took control. Anduin seems to agree to the changes, Varian not so much."

"And you?" Victoria asked her.

"I just serve Varian and his family." Valeera told her, following Anduin shortly after.

Sera stood beside her Queen and watched Tanadia, Anduin and Valeera make their way into the Cathedral. "Well... That was a surprise."

"I'm yet to see if it's a good surprise." Victoria told her, looking up at her General. "Keep an eye on him. I can only guess Valeera will leave to return to Theramore soon, so your spies have nothing to worry about." She looked back to the Cathedral. "I want to know more about this. If there is anything he isn't telling me."


	21. Chapter 21

**A quick cut in before you read this Chapter. I know the uploads have been erratic, some of them coming once a week, some once every two. I have been working hard on trying to get these out as fast as possible (Which is leading to a good few mistakes where I haven't proof-read them) and hopefully each chapter will come out progressively quicker until it's back to once a week, two a week being the goal (Back to the usual Friday + Monday).**

**This, along with the next 2-3 chapters will be progressing the story forward a lot, passing years in between each one until I get to the events of the Legion Invasion. Though it may take up more than 2-3 chapters if I feel I am rushing through things, it also may not. I have yet to decide that, but I know how I will go about the opening couple of chapters of the Legion half of this story.**

**So I hope you stick around for that as I am excited to start writing the Legion half of this story, it's just making sure everything leads up to it without a big, confusing jump.**

* * *

**A Week At Home**

Two weeks had now passed since Victoria returned to Stormwind, looking to her left and at her General who stood beside her as she sat on the Throne, glancing to her right and towards Cyndia who had returned a couple days after Anduin's surprise return to the Capital. "Any of them for me?" The Queen asked her Captain who was looking through the reports they had gotten, coming across a letter addressed to Victoria and handing it to her. "Thank you."

Sera tried to read the letter in her Queen's hand, looking away when she saw it was written in Thalassian. "What does it say, my Lady?" She asked.

Victoria smiled and folded up the letter before looking over to her General. "My parents have a date planned for their, to use the word they used, re-wedding."

"Oh?" Sera raised an eyebrow at her Queen. "When is it?"

"Next week." Victoria told her. "A bit last minute, but my mother has always hated these sort of gatherings. So I now have to find something to wear befitting of the day." She looked over to her General fully. "Any ideas?"

"What did you wear during their first wedding?" Sera asked her.

"We all just wore our ranger attire. My mother -"

"Doesn't like dresses." Sera said, smiling and shaking her head. "I don't suppose they would wear their ranger attire now though, right? They probably have it on display in their house to look at from time to time."

Victoria laughed. "That's not my mother. Athrodar perhaps, just because of the whole memory loss thing he and Elaria went through. I don't think he would want to lose any of his memories now." She looked back at the letter in her hand. "I will think about this later today when we are finished here. Maybe I will return home a few days before the big day to talk to Sylvanas about it."

"And about our new priest in training?" Sera now asked.

"I haven't heard much from Tanadia. Her mother has been keeping her close the last two weeks because she hasn't had her daughter around." Victoria shrugged her shoulders. "I understand it. She misses her daughter since she has been around Snow and I for the last two weeks."

"But you wish to have you little sister here so she can unknowingly spy for you?" Sera asked, watched her Queen nod which made her smile. "Luckily for you, one of my spies has come back to me recently."

"Oh? And what did they have to say?"

"Everything he has told us seems to be true." Sera told her Queen. "He wants to return to Stormwind to become a priest. Liadrin gives him the same attention as the rest of her class, minus your sister of course. She is apparently grooming her something fierce."

"I figured as much." Victoria muttered, looking up to her General and smiling at her. "Would you like to come to the wedding with me as my plus one? I am almost certain your sister will be there."

"Even if she wasn't I would still come, my Lady." Sera said, accepting her offer. "Now I have to figure out what I'm going to wear."

"Whatever we wear, it can't steal the show from my mother. Despite her not wanting to wear a dress, she will still want to be the centre of attention." Victoria smiled at her own comment. "Despite living in her small corner of the world now, she still loves the attention."

Sera watched her Queen's gaze begin to turn towards nothing, knowing she was becoming lost in whatever she was thinking about. "You can go visit them now if you want." She told Victoria. "Cyndia and I can look after the city whilst you're gone and I will join you closer to the wedding date."

"I.. I don't know, Sera." Victoria said with uncertainty. "It's only been two weeks since I last saw them. I want to show them I can do this without their help."

"Who said anything about going back there to ask for help?" Sera asked her. "You've been away from the rest of your family for two weeks, you parents are getting married in a week. Spend that time with them and then come back to the city the next day."

Victoria looked over to Cyndia who was listening in to their conversation, getting a nod from her without having to ask anything. "We can look after the city whilst you're gone, my Lady." She told her with a smile. "Go be with your family for the next week."

"Are you sure?" Victoria asked, still uncertain if she should visit her family today or wait until the wedding is closer.

Sera offered her a hand, Cyndia doing the same on the other side of the Queen. "Certain, my Lady." The Night Elf said, helping Victoria stand up from her throne and watching Snow, who was laying down beside it, stand up too. "Both you and Snow can take a week off before coming back to rule this city full time."

Victoria began to smile, liking the idea more and more as the seconds rolled passed. "Okay, I will." She looked down to Snow and stroked his head. "Let's go home for a bit, see the rest of our family."

Snow let out an approving roar, following Victoria out the Keep after she gave Sera a kiss goodbye.

* * *

Upon arriving in Silvermoon, after convincing Thalina to join her along with her daughter Tanadia, the three of them began to make their way to the Dawnstrider estate first to visit the Magister's parents. "He really does love her, doesn't he?"

Victoria looked over to Thalina who was watching her daughter ride on top of Snow, smiling at them and nodding her head. "Not as much as he loves me I hope, but yes he does. She has a way with both animals and people that seems to calm them." Victoria placed a hand on Snow's head and scratched behind his ear. "He follows her around a lot more than he follows me when she visits me."

"Don't tell her that, she might just take him home with her." Thalina warned her, the pair of them laughing lightly to each other as they neared Dawnstrider estate. "I haven't been home for over a year. By the letters I am getting from my mother, she is worried about me and looks forward to my next visit."

"Then don't leave her waiting." Victoria whispered to her. "From one daughter to another, the second you enter that house and hug your mother, all worry goes out the window and you'll feel back at home."

Thalina smiled and took hold of her daughter's hand, helping her down from Snow. "Let's go see my parents, okay?"

"Okay!" Tanadia said, beaming a smile up at her mother before looking over to Snow. "I'll visit you again soon, Snow." She said to the Nightsaber, waving him goodbye before entering her families estate.

"Time to return home." Victoria whispered to Snow, walking beside the Nightsaber who followed her closely.

An hour passed by with the Queen and her Nightsaber walking through Eversong Wood and into Southern Quel'thalas, standing out the outskirts of Windrunner Village and hearing laughter coming from inside the village. The sound alone plastered a huge smile on Victoria's face as she knew the village was now bustling with life, something her parents wanted from the very beginning of the rebuild project they started.

Walking into the village, she recognised a few familiar faces, most of them rangers who retired with her parents whilst the rest were elves she had never seen before but was certain they were loyal to her family.

"Victoria?" A voice asked, making the Queen look to it and smile brightly at its owner.

"Grandma!" Victoria exclaimed, hugging Illana when they both raced towards each other. "It feels like an age since I last saw you. How have you been?"

"I am doing fantastic." Illana whispered to her granddaughter. "And yes, it has been an age. Over three months I believe."

"I didn't see you before we all returned to Pandaria?" Victoria asked, watching her shake her head. "Oh... That's my bad."

Illana shook her head again, this time smiling at her. "It's okay. So why are you here? The wedding isn't for another week."

"I came to be with my family until then. A sort of break until I rule Stormwind full time." Victoria looked around the village and saw the small market being run near the smaller port. "My parents have been busy I see."

"Returning here for good has brought some of their most loyal followers with them." Illana said with a smile. "They have already doubled the size of this village within the two weeks they've been here. It's quite something."

"And where are they?" Victoria now asked.

"Come with me." Illana replied, offering her a hand to take.

Following Illana, Victoria entered Windrunner Manor and looked around at the noticable change to the rooms compared to when she was last here. The biggest change was that her parents weren't in the living room, where she had expected them to be. "Where are they? They better not be doing what I think they're doing."

Illana laughed and shook her head. "By the Light, no. Not in front of their children. They have kept it in their pants, so to speak."

"Good." Victoria said, smiling a little. "Wouldn't want to scar them whilst they're still so young."

"Out here." Illana told her, standing beside the door to the balcony. "Not much has changed since you last saw them, except maybe what they're wearing. It's not their ranger gear, just a heads up."

Victoria turned the door handle and pushed the door lightly, poking her head through and watching Sylvanas sleep on the bench with her brother in her arms, looking over to Athrodar who was looking out towards the ocean, both of them wearing simple linen shirts and pants, though Sylvanas continued to wear high quality leather boots whilst Athrodar wore more simpler boots, something an apprentice would make as his first pair of boots. "Dad." She whispered, making him look over to her and growing a big smile on his face.

"Victoria.." Athrodar whispered back, walking over to the now fully opened door and hugging his daughter tightly. "What brings you here? You got the letter, right?"

"I did." Victoria said, keeping her voice low as to not wake up her mother and pressing her ear against Athrodar's chest to get as close to him as possible. "I came a week before the wedding to spend as much time with you both as possible before I HAVE to go back."

Neither Athrodar or Victoria let go of each other, both wanting to stay as close as they could as the new Queen didn't realise how much she had missed her family within those two weeks. "I am certain your mother will be over the moon when she wakes up to find you here." Athrodar told his daughter, kissing the top of her head. "She will never want to let you go." He glanced over to his wife and saw her still sleeping soundly on the bench with her son in her arms. "She won't want me to admit this, but she has been thinking about you since we left. She wants you to think she is fine with you being away from us, but she isn't. Not yet anyway."

"Give it time." Victoria said. "I know I feel the same, but it will just take time to get used to things."

"I know, honey." Athrodar hugged her a little tighter before letting go and looking her up and down to inspect her person. "How has life been since we left you an entire city?"

"It's been good, dad. Tana has been with me a lot recently, mostly to get to Snow but I think she misses you." Victoria smiled up at him. "She is with her mother now at Dawnstrider estate, so she's not far from here."

"Thalina's mother has been by several times already just to talk to my mother, wanting to know everything about her daughter as she hadn't seen her in over a year." Athrodar smiled and was hugged by Victoria once more. "Something I hope I don't have to go through."

"You won't, dad." Victoria muttered, holding onto her father tightly once more. "I will visit often, I promise. You have both given me so much, the least I can do is be here when I start to miss you all." With her ear pressed to his chest once more, Victoria was looking at her mother and brother sleep, frowning when there was a fourth member of her family missing. "Where's my baby sister?"

"Her aunty Vareesa is looking after her. She dropped by shortly after they took out Lei-Shen." Athrodar looked over to Sylvanas who smiled up at him, having woken up to listen in to their conversation. "She and your mother can talk for hours about anything, it's quite something."

"Not hours." Sylvanas said, stroking her son's head when he began to stir. "Just long enough to get every bit of new information out of each other." She kissed the top of her son's head, hugging him tightly as he slept beside her. "Alleria is with my sister because she wanted to spend time with her." Sylvanas smiled at Victoria. "She wants to have a baby in her life again and luckily I have one that can distract her should she get the feeling of wanting another child."

"That's it... Use our daughter to sate your sister's need for another child." Athrodar shook his head. "Your mother says she loves our daughter, but it's hard to tell sometimes when she says such things."

Sylvanas gasped and sat up so quickly, it woke up their son. "I do love our daughter!" She snapped. "How could you say that!?"

Athrodar crouched down in front of his wife and cupped her face in his hands, kissing her lightly on the lips. "You know I don't mean it." He smiled when Sylvanas turned her head away from him, leaning forward and pressing his head against her temple. "You love our daughter more than anyone ever could." He kissed her on the temple, making his wife smile and planting another one on her cheek. "Now, our eldest is home and wants to spend time with her family before the big day, will you allow her that?"

Sylvanas nodded and stood up off the bench with Athrodar replacing her as a bed for their son. "I want nothing more than to have our daughter home." She said, hugging Victoria who returned the hug. "To have my baby in my arms." She whispered, both of them closing their eyes as they melted into the hug. "Welcome home."

* * *

Spending a week at home for the Queen was a lot better than she could have imagined. What played on her mind however was returning back to Stormwind, as it meant she had to take on the responsibility of leading once more, something she was excited for, but at the same time didn't want to return to right away. The other thing on her mind was her parent's wedding, an event that was happening today and she was sitting in her parent's bedroom with her mother who was, despite protesting a few weeks ago, was trying on her dress. "you look beautiful, mom."

"Well, I'm glad you like it. I'm just wearing this because your father, my sister and mother-in-law are all pressuring me to wear it." Sylvanas looked down at the dress and rolled her eyes at the colour. "And white? That's so cliché."

"How is she looking?" Vareesa asked, poking her head into the room and smiling at her sister. "Lady Moon..."

"Don't!" Sylvanas snapped, pointing at her sister who went watery eyed. "I don't want another word about the dress. The sooner we get the ceremony over with, the sooner I can get out of this dress, into something more comfortable and spend the rest of my life with my husband."

"Remind me, why are you marrying for a second time?" Vareesa asked, sitting on the bed beside her niece and both watching Sylvanas play with her dress, trying to get comfortable in it. "You're already married now, nobody is disputing that."

"Because my husband wants us to be married in life. And I happen to agree with his reasoning, which is so we can be married in life and death... or undeath so to speak." Sylvanas looked at herself in the mirror, admiring the dress that hugged her waist and hips, pushed up her boobs just enough to hypnotise her husband and then puffed out a little at the legs, allowing her to move freely and unconstricted.

"Someone is liking the dress." Victoria commented, poking her tongue out at her mother who narrowed her eyes at both her daughter and her sister.

"I said, not another word about the dress." Sylvanas told them through gritted teeth.

Both Vareesa and Victoria sat there quietly as Sylvanas ironed out any creases with her hands, brushing a loose hair or piece of fabric off to make herself look presentable. "I agree, she does like the dress." Vareesa whispered, though made sure it was loud enough to get a reaction out of her sister.

"Ugh!" Sylvanas looked back at the two women tormenting her, glaring at them now. "Aren't you both supposed to be getting dressed?"

Victoria nudged her aunt. "Come on, let's go. We've teased her long enough."

Sylvanas shook her head and watched them both leave, letting out a long sigh and dropping her shoulders. "You can come out now."

The door to the bathroom opened and Athrodar came walking out, smiling at his wife who walked over to him and gave him a long kiss on the lips. "You look stunning." He whispered, going back to the kiss and having Sylvanas' hands bushed through his hair. "How long do we have?"

Sylvanas grinned and rubbed her nose against his. "If I lock the door, long enough to have some fun before everyone gets frustrated."

Pinning her to the door, Athrodar gave his wife a mischevious smile when she bit her bottom lip and locking the door behind her. "It's locked." He whispered, moving his hand down to her legs and taking hold of the dress, pulling it up slowly and gazing into Sylvanas' eyes as they became filled with lust. "I promise I won't rip it."

"You can rip it later." She whispered to him, her breath quivering as Athrodar began to kiss her along her neck. "Let's... Let's just have some fun."

Athrodar smirked at his wife, nodding his head in approval. "Okay. Then let's have some fun." He whispered to her, lifting her up and having her legs wrap around his waist as he kept her pinned against the door.

Victoria caught up to Sera who was helping set everything up with Illana, Thal'ena, Seliana, Elaria, Lor'themar and a few others. "Have you seen Athrodar?" She asked her General who shook her head.

"Not since this morning, why?"

Victoria frowned and looked around the village. "I don't know why, but I got a bad feeling he is somewhere he shouldn't be."

"That does sound like your father." Sera said, smirking at the Queen. "Relax, okay? This was what he wanted, same as your mother. They both love each other so much that they won't do anything to ruin today." The Night Elf placed several chairs down in the middle of Windrunner Village, all of them facing towards where both Sylvanas and Athrodar will stand. "For all we know, he is in the perfect place right now."

"And that is...?"

Sera pushed her mouth to the side and looked down at Victoria with a face that hoped she would get what she was saying. "Please don't make me explain."

"Oh... Oh!" Victoria shook her head and covered her ears. "No, please don't explain it any further. I beg of you!"

"I won't." Sera said, chuckling and placing a hand on her shoulder. "Even when they're supposed to stay away until the ceremony begins, they still manage to find a way to be together."

"If they're together." Victoria muttered, shaking her head to clear those thoughts away. "Great, you've tainted my mind."

"Oh please, it's been tainted since you met them." Sera told her, straightening out a few more of the chairs and glancing over to the Queen who was now sulking. "My Lady, we may not be in Stormwind but you could at least act like a Queen whilst around other leaders."

Victoria looked over to the Regent Lord who was busy talking to Liadrin to have noticed her acting up. "Good point. Wouldn't want to give them a bad impression."

"Ready to start?" Illana asked everyone gathered, from family members, to family friends, to loved ones and all those inbetween.

"Are my parents ready to start?" Victoria asked, hating that she had an idea on where they were and hoping that Illana would say otherwise.

"Your father is just talking to Elaria now whilst your aunt is with your mother." Illana looked around at everyone taking their seats, having her gaze fall back to her granddaughter. "Did you not notice them entering the house?"

"I was a little distracted..." Victoria muttered, shaking her head to clear the tainted thoughts and smiling up at Illana who made her way over to them. "I think we're all ready."

"Good." Illana said softly, placing a hand on Victoria's cheek whilst her gaze went to Luna who was waiting nearby, nodding at the Draenei once and watching her make her way to the front of everyone. "I've been waiting for this day since your father told me."

Victoria took hold of Illana's hand when she sat down beside her. "So have I." She said with a smile, watching Athrodar and Elaria make their way towards Luna with the pair of them wearing tuxedo's that were made in Stormwind prior to them returning home. "I think my father needs more guy friends. Elaria is his best man."

Illana laughed lightly and nodding her head in agreement. "He does. But he also seems happy with those around him, so maybe not." She looked over to Victoria who was looking out for her mother. "I'm sure he will find a couple in the future." She whispered, knowing her granddaughter wasn't paying attention to her.

"There she is." Victoria whispered, watching Vareesa and Sylvanas both walk up the aisle they had made and towards Athrodar who stood up on the podium before them with Elaria by his side and their two children at the front with Victoria, Illana and Tanadia, who was watching the whole thing in awe.

"Do you still wish to have the short version?" Luna asked, looking at mainly Sylvanas who nodded her head profusely.

"Please." She looked to the friends and family watching them. "As much as I love you all, I hate being in this dress and having all the attention. So I apologise if it's not as warm and loving of a ceremony as you were expecting." Sylvanas now looked over to Athrodar who had a huge smile on his face, shaking his head at her. "You good?"

"I'm fantastic." He replied, having Sylvanas take hold of his hand in an instant and look to Luna, following her lead and taking her other hand in his spare hand and looking to Luna too. "Like she said, she wants this to be quick and I haven't got a problem with that."

"Okay." Luna smiled and took the Windrunner flag from Liadrin who stood beside her, the Paladin having spent Athrodar's money to get the thing made. "Since you're both already married and are renewing your vows, I only need the one flag." She looked over to Athrodar who watched her drape it over their hands. "Not that you would want me to use your family flag, considering its past."

"And that I have changed my family name to Windrunner, because of the first marriage." Athrodar explained, smiling at Sylvanas who always seemed to smile brighter when he brought that up. "I love you." He whispered.

"I love you too." Sylvanas replied in an equal tone of voice.

"A bit early for that." Liadrin cut in, stepping back when Luna cleared her voice to continue.

"Seeing as you are both already married, I don't have to ask for the rings. Instead I will ask if you both are willing to continue to love each other, protect each other and make sure no harm becomes you or your family?"

"I do." They both said at the same time, standing a little closer to each other as they could determine what was to come next.

Luna smiled brightly, moving her arms up slowly until they were in the air and casting a spell of holy light that washed over both Sylvanas and Athrodar. "Then I repronounce you, husband and wife." She stepped back a little to give them some more room. "You may now kiss the bride."

Without needing another second, Sylvanas leapt at Athrodar who was ready to catch her, their pair of them kissing and pressing their heads together when everyone began to cheer. Sylvanas pulled back a little to then press her ear against Athrodar's chest, looking at Victoria and taking hold of her hand to pull her up onto the podium, bringing her in to a three-way hug before being interrupted by Tahnir who pushed his way into the middle. "I love you all." She whispered, hugging her daughter and husband the best she could whilst feeling Tahnir hug her in the middle.

Victoria said nothing, having to keep her emotions in check as she didn't want to ruin her mother's dress, despite her saying she didn't like it anyway. Though she didn't care, she was with her family, away from her responsibilities for a week and happy beyond measure. After all, she got to witness her parents getting married for a second time.


	22. Chapter 22

**Six Month Change**

"So what exactly is this new idea of yours?"

Victoria looked around the throne room, admiring the work that had been put into the changes she had ordered, looking over to Sera when she left the question hanging for a minute. "I want to get the council more involved in the goings on of Stormwind." She told her General. "As well as my military leaders and chosen representitives of the civilians."

"I thought the council were the chosen representitives?" Sera asked now.

"They were, now I will use them as advisors whilst each district, town, village will choose someone to join what I'm making so they can report it back to their mayors." Victoria smiled and looked back at her throne. "I am making a senate of sorts."

"Don't you need to be an emperor for a senate?"

Victoria opened her mouth to argue, but realised she had no arguement in place. "Fair point. But I'm making a senate type thing where I have the final say. Everyone will debate about the topic at hand and I will decide what to do once I have been given solutions." She smiled at Sera who nodded her head approvingly. "What do you think?"

"I think you're making an absolute monarchy."

Victoria gasped. "I think it's a good plan, not a mockery."

Sera rolled her eyes at her Queen. "MON-AR-CHY not mockery. It's a government that has the royal at the top, giving the final say."

"Oh..." Victoria smiled again at her General. "Then yes, that's what I'm making. I have invited the council to visit shortly and to inform them of what is happening. You will be expected to attend these along with the Admiral and my Captains. For military situations that need adressing."

Sera bowed her head to her Queen. "Very well, I will show up to them."

"Good." Victoria looked around the throne room and at the guards standing around the place, frowning at the armour that they wore. "I may have to change their uniform." She commented, looking back to Sera who frowned at her. "What?"

"Who's the Admiral?" Sera asked, sounding a little concerned. "Your parents couldn't find anyone for years to take charge of their fleet, yet you have found someone within six months?"

"There was a human woman, named Emma Wilson or something. The guards caught her smuggling food and other goods out the city to sell them on the market elsewhere." Victoria stood up and began to inspect one of the royal guards closely. "I offered her two choices, serve the rest of her life in the stockades, or become my Admiral." She shrugged her shoulders. "I think she chose the better options."

"So you have a brigand in charge of your entire fleet?" Sera now asked, standing beside her Queen and looking at the side of her face to try and read it. "Is that wise?"

Victoria let out a small laugh. "She's not a brigand. Pirate myabe, but not a brigand." She glanced over to her General. "Why not someone who has experience on the seas? Someone who knows all the hotspots, possible enemy fleets and their strengths. And hopefully their weaknesses."

Sera continued to frown at her. "I still don't know, my Lady."

"I will take your concern into consideration. For now, she has yet to put a foot wrong."

"That's because we're not at war, my Lady." Sera reminded her. "We will see how she is when it comes to your new plan for the council."

"See who how is?" Emma asked, walking into the throne room. "I hope you're not talking about me behind my back, your Grace?"

"My General is just curious about our new Admiral. Prove to her you are to be trusted." Victoria said, walking passed the Admiral and placing a hand on her shoulder, getting a warm smile in return. "Just don't annoy her."

"I'll try, your Grace." Emma said, looking over to Sera who narrowed her eyes at the Admiral. "Though, she may bite my head off."

Victoria sat down on her throne and looked over to her General who kept her eyes narrowed at the Admiral, rolling her own eyes and shaking her head. "Sera, don't start anything. Let her defend herself before you attack her."

"I know about my past, but I have been given a chance to redeem myself by doing something I love. Sailing the open sea." Admiral Wilson looked over to her Queen and smiled at her, bowing her head shortly after. "I serve the Queen now. I owe her my life as she was so willing to give me a second chance." The Admiral began to slowly walk towards the Queen, placing a hand on the arm rest and slowly winking at her. "If only I could make it up to her." She whispered.

Victoria grinned at her Admiral, walking her fingers up her arm. "What do you have in mind?" She whispered.

"Ahem." Sera cleared her throat, standing behind the Admiral who backed off. "My Lady, a word?"

Victoria stood up and followed her General to a nearby room, watching her close the door behind them. "What's up?"

"I don't trust her, my Lady." Sera told her, going straight to the point. "She is trying to push her way to the top."

"Really? I think she is just happy that I gave her a second chance." Victoria saw Sera didn't agree with her and frowned at the General. "Look, I will keep an eye out on her and act accordingly if she is just trying to push her way to the top."

Just as they were about to return to the throne room, Sera took hold of her Queen's hand, stopping her from entering the room. "And another thing. I don't like it when she touches you, or when you touch her... Like you did... All flirty like."

Victoria frowned at her General. "Were you jealous?" She asked, having Sera her look away from her and smiling before hugging her General. "Don't be. I promise I won't flirt with anyone if it makes you uncomfortable."

"Thank you." Sera said softly, leaning down to kiss her Queen and having Victoria return the favour. "I love you." She whispered to her, making the Queen smile brightly.

"I love you too, Sera. Now I need your help to gather the council members and our Officers to begin the first meeting. Can you do that?"

Sera nodded her head once to her Queen. "I will, my Lady. You can count on me."

"Good." Victoria said, kissing the top of her hand. "Go, I'll be waiting on my throne."

* * *

"Six months since my parents got married again and already my youngest sister is about to turn two." Victoria looked up at Sera who was washing her hair after a long day with the council. "A couple more weeks and she is there." She let out a long sigh and placed her arm, that was resting on the side of the bath, back into the water. "Am I missing out on too much being stuck here in the city?"

"You're starting to sound like you don't want this life, my Lady." Sera pointed out, planting a kiss on her Queen's cheek. "Is that true?"

"What? No. I am the Queen of a city, the Capital city of Azeroth to be precise. I get to see all types of races walk these roads, from both factions and smile as they work together." Victoria looked over to the three women she had on standby in case Sera wanted to join her. "I get to have my beautiful girls with me during these times. I love it here."

Sera looked over to the three human servants and saw their smiles, rolling her eyes and moving out the way. "Come on, I know you want to be near your Queen."

Victoria watched her General strip down and climb into the bath with her, cuddling up to the Night Elf and closing her eyes when she began to stroke her ears. "It's nice to know the servants that served my parents gave them some helpful tips." She smiled a little wider when one of her girls climbed into the bath with them and began to wash both her and Sera. "They can make this a very enjoyable bath."

Sera continued to stroke her Queen's ears whilst getting small kisses up her slender neck from the second servant whilst the third was doing the same to Victoria. "My Lady, I need to leave in a couple days."

"Okay." Victoria cooed, placing a hand on the face of the servant behind her and bringing their lips together. "What for?"

"My sister wants to visit our home." Sera told her, placing her lips on her Queen's ears and lightly nibbling them, making her squirm in the process. "To visit our family. I haven't seen them in years so I am taking her." Her nibbling turned into kisses that then trailed to her cheek then lips. "I'll be a couple days, a week tops. Seeing your father with his family must have triggered something inside her, making her want to go home and see our parents."

"Make sure to tell them how high up you are in my army." Victoria told her, taking hold of and kissing Sera's hand. "Tell them that you have made this Queen very happy and proud to have such a loyal General. And that I said hi."

Sera smiled and nodded her head in agreement. "I will say all that and more, my Lady. I'm sure they would want to meet the woman I love too, after I tell them."

"Then I will get a room ready for when they want to visit." Victoria said, returning her attention to the servant placing several kisses up down her neck. "Your Queen is going to need a lot more than light kisses." She told her, though it was aimed at all of them and they knew it as they all began to shift their attention to Victoria.

"The General will take charge." Sera told them, moving to sit between her Queen's legs and spreading them slowly. "Only after I have finished will you all be allowed to have your fun with the Queen."

Victoria bit her bottom lip and watched her General lower herself between her legs, gasping and closing her eyes before growing a wide smile when she felt Sera's tongue inside her as well as the many kisses from her servants who worshipped the rest of her. "I am so happy to be Queen." She muttered, placing a hand on her General's head and keeping her between her legs, only letting go so she could come to the surface for breath.

* * *

"Redridge is in need of dire support, your Grace." The chosen speaker for Lakeshire said, looking at the Queen and ignoring the rest of the council surrounding him. "Blackrock Orcs have been rebuilding in number up in the abandoned Keep to the East of Lakeshire and are now raiding some of our smaller villages."

"My mother said something about them being unruly, hard to negotiate with." Victoria rubbed her chin, looking over to Cyndia who was now her highest ranking Officer now that Sera had returned to Darnassus with her sister for the week. "How many Orcs were there?"

"Why does it matter?" Sky Admiral Rogers asked, standing in the inner circle of the meeting. "We should just take the gunship and bomb their Keep, we have the guns to do so and if they're just raiding small towns and villages, we will take no casualties if we send it in."

"No, but it will destroy a possible Keep we can rebuild." One of them coucnilmen said. "Your Grace, we should send in a small army to deal with them, perhaps try negotiating with them and inform them of Orgrimmar. They could reunite with their Orcish brothers and sisters in that barren wasteland they call home."

Victoria raised an eyebrow at the insult on the Orcish Capital, especially since there were a couple of Orc members in her new council. "That wasteland as you so kindly put it, is one of the most important cities we trade with. They have the metals that Ironforge doesn't, which we use for our cannons, reinforcing our ships and many other purposes that keep the people of this city safe." Victoria looked over to the speaker for Lakeshire and tapped her finger on the arm of her throne. "I will send a scouting party to assess the situation, they will report back to me with whatever they find then we will go from there."

"That will waste time." Another councilmen said, siding with Sky Admiral Rogers. "We should wipe them off the map. They're a threat to our people, to your people, your Grace. Capture them at the very least, but they should not be allowed to roam Redridge Mountains so freely, raiding our towns and villages."

Cyndia looked over to Victoria who seemed a little stuck between doing her plan and sending in an army to deal with the Orcs. "My Lady, if I may?" She said, stepping forward. "I could take my company east and protect the towns and villages whilst we come up with a proper plan." She looked around the rest of the council, seeing a few nodding heads whilst others were still on the fence about not sending in an entire army. "If it's a small force, I could take them out without having to bring this topic up again, with your permission of course."

Victoria began to like this plan more, nodding her head in agreement too. "Very well. My Captain will take her company east to deal with the Blackrock Orcs should she find that their numbers are small enough to take on without help. This will give our new recruits some more experience whilst dealing with the threat that lies there." She stood up from her throne and looked around the council. "Any objections to this plan?"

There was silence from all members present, making the Queen smile and sit back down on her throne. "Then it's settled." She said, nodding over to Cyndia. "Send your rangers east and try to deal with this without taking any casualties."

Cyndia bowed her head to the Queen. "I will do as you ask, my Lady."

Victoria watched her Captain leave the court, placing a hand on Snow's head who slept beside her throne and looked around at the council standing in a semicircle in front of her. "Anything else we need to address?"

"Anduin." The speaker for the Cathedral Square said, stepping forward to the front of the semicircle, wearing their white and gold priest gown to show that they were from the Cathedral Square. "Some of us aren't sure why he has remained in Stormwind for so long. I was wondering if you could shed some light on this matter?"

Victoria sighed, having to deal with an Anduin related matter every other week. Not that he had done anything wrong, far from it. The former Prince was quiet all thing considered, sticking to his studies and spending more than enough time at the Cathedral, listening to Tanadia who spoke constantly about any topic that came to her head, much to the Queen's amusement when she heard about it.

"Anduin is remaining in Stormwind for as long as he wants. He is here to study the ways of the light from our Highlord, much like the rest of those who come to the Cathedral Square." Victoria looked down at Snow who purred loudly at her constant stroking on his head. "I have spoken to Jaina and she has informed me that Varian, albeit not entirely happy with the idea, is also fine with letting Anduin stay in this city, so long as it is safe for him and he is getting the best education he can."

Satisfied with the Queen's response, the speaker for the Cathedral Square bowed her head and thanked the Queen before retreating back into the ocean of bodies standing around in front of her. "Anything else?" Victoria asked, hearing nothing from the crowd and smiling a little. "Good. You can all leave now. If anyone has something they'd like to talk to me personally about, stay here. As for the rest of you. Have a good day."

With everyone leaving the throne room, Victoria focused most of her attention on Snow. It was only when a pair of boots entered her eyeline that she looked up to the owner of them and saw Admiral Wilson standing there, smiling down at the Queen. "Admiral." She said, looking back down at Snow. "What can I do for you?"

"I just wanted to say that you are doing a great job as Queen." The Admiral said, stepping closer to Snow and placing a gentle hand on his nose. "Your parents are surely proud of you."

Victoria smiled and saw Snow moved forward to brush his fur against the Admiral's leg who had now crouched down beside the Nightsaber. "He trusts you, so I know my trust in your isn't lost."

"Did you not trust me when you gave me the rank of Admiral?" Emma asked, frowning at her Queen.

"I did and still do. But my General doesn't trust you and she is very loyal to me, so I take her word seriously." Victoria looked back down at Snow who was having his neck scratched by the Admiral. "Seeing as he trusts you though, I know I can trust you."

The Admiral smiled, standing up and walking towards the throne until she stood directly in front of the Queen. "It makes me so happy to know you trust me, your Grace." She walked two fingers up her Queen's arm, growing more bold when Victoria didn't stop her and travelling up to her shoulder before caressing her cheek with her fingertips. "I wouldn't want someone as beautiful as you to turn me away." She whispered, watching Victoria's face as she began to find the whole thing hypnotic.

"I wouldn't turn away someone who is willing to turn their life around in my name." Victoria whispered back to her, gazing into her eyes and reading exactly what was going to happen next as she shot up and kissed the Admiral hard on the lips, finding it difficult to resist the woman in front of her as she had missed Sera for the couple of days she had been gone and wanted to find a release.

Wanting to take charge of the situation, Emma pushed the Queen back down onto her throne and sat on her lap, moving her hands through Victoria's hair before lowering them to her tunic and pulling it up and over her head, discard it on the other side of the throne to Snow. "This is my way of saying thank you for giving me a second chance." Emma whispered in her ear, biting it lightly and hearing Victoria gasp as she squeezed her breasts.

"A welcome gift." Victoria cooed, arching her back as she felt two fingers enter her without realising her hand was between her legs. "Oh..." She whimpered when Emma sucked on her neck.

"Just relax, your Grace." Emma told her, massaging her Queen with her two fingers whilst her other hand was placed behind her head to keep their lips together, only splitting apart so one of them could take. "Let me take care of everything."


	23. Chapter 23

**Anniversary**

"Today is the day."

Sera smiled and nodded her head in agreement, looking at the mirror her Queen was looking at. "Yes it is, my Lady. A year has passed since you took up the mantle of Queen, a year of peace since the campaign in Pandaria had finished." She kissed Victoria on the shoulder, looking at the two of them now in the mirror as she hugged her from behind. "A year of us two being together as General and Queen."

Victoria smiled and pressed the side of her head against her General's, closing her eyes when the Night Elf tightened her grip around her. "A year of happiness." She whispered to her General, feeling her kiss her on the cheek. "Now, which one do I wear? The blue and gold uniform that is close to my mother's gear, or this new white and gold one to celebrate my first year as Queen?"

"The white and gold one, for sure." Sera answered, liking it more for her own reasons. Mostly because it exposed more of her Queen for her eyes to feast on, but also because it makes her look like a divine being. "You looked beautiful in it when you tried it on for the first time."

"I know." Victoria chuckled. "You are normally so well behaved, but I could see you squirming in your seat when I was trying this on at the armourer."

Sera let go of her Queen a she began to put the white and gold ranger armour on, starting with the breastplate that covered just that, her breats, leaving her stomach exposed and showing off her cleavage. Though the gold fur trimming tried to hide as much as it could, everything was still on display. "So what is planned for today?" The Night Elf asked, looking at the cleavage in question.

"With Redridge fully under our control now, since Cyndia dealt with the Blackrock Orcs that decided to remain hostile, we are tavelling to Lakeshire and then to the Keep tht is now under construction." Victoria reached for the white leggings with gold stitching, catching a glimpse of Sera staring at her behind and knowing she wasn't listening. "Then I was thinking we could attack Darnassus and burn the tree to the ground."

"Uhuh, then what?" Sera said, not realising what her Queen was saying as she was captivated by her nakedness.

"We tell the Orcs where they can go back to, forcing them onto their dying land if they don't do so willingly. Then we kill the Tauren and use them as food." Victoria rolled her eyes when Sera was just nodding idly at her. "Sera!" She yelled, snapping her fingers at the Night Elf who suddenly regained control.

"Yes, sorry. What?" She said, looking at her Queen who narrowed her eyes at the General. "I'm sorry, I was distracted."

"I can see that. Now will you listen to me or are you too pre-occupied with other things?"

Sera shook her head. "I'm listening, my Lady."

"Good." Victoria pulled up her leggings and reached for her boots. "We are going to Lakeshire and then to the Keep the Blackrock Orcs held to see the progress the builders have made, then we move on to Westfall to see how our farms are doing." She looked back to Sera who nodded in agreement. "That will take up half the day, bringing us back home to spend a couple hours at the Park before returning here and spending the last few hours with my General, alone."

Sera smiled at the last activity for the day, taking hold of her Queen's leg and placing one of her boots on her foot when she was offered it. "Sounds like a fun day."

"I'm hoping so. I love being around the people and if they see that I care for them just as much as they may care for me, this will make all of this worth it." Victoria lifted up her other foot and watched her General place the boot on it. "I just wished my family were here to see the progress I have made."

"I'm sure they will hear about it from Vareesa, or one of the rangers who send your mother letters with updates on the city." Sera placed Victoria's foot back on the floor and handed her the gloves that were hanging over the mirror. "Or you will tell her in your weekly letters. Either way, they are with you in here." She said, placing a hand on her heart. "I know I say it often, but they are always with you, even if you can't see them."

Victoria smiled a little, looking down at the gloves in her hands that she had yet to put on. "I don't think I've told you, but my mother already wants another child. My sister is two and a half years old and my brother is five."

Sera chuckled and shook her head. "You haven't told me this, no. Can't they wait a few more years before having another?"

"Victoria began to chuckle now. "I think they are, but she said this one will be their last one for a while. At least until all of their little ones have left the nest and began making names for themselves."

"Good. I wouldn't want them to get faitgued by the amount of children they have. They need to spend this time alone with the family they have, not making more." Sera smiled at her Queen who put on her gloves and reached for her shoulderguards. "Now it's my turn to confess something."

"What is it?" Victoria asked, strapping the first shoudlerguard in place.

"My parents are visiting tomorrow. They would like to meet the woman I serve and love." Sera saw Victoria's eyes widen with the sudden news bomb like that, holding up her hands when she began to look worried. "Don't worry! They are going to love you! Titans knows they spent a week with Elaria who barely remembers them and loved her like she had never left."

"Way to drop this last second, Sera. Now I have to rethink everything for today!"

Sera followed her Queen to the door when she opened it, pushing it shut and leaning against the door to keep them in the room. "No you don't, trust me. It's going to be a casual thing, they drop by for a couple hours, maybe a couple days tops. Spend time with me and hopefully you, whether it's in the Keep or somewhere else."

"You could have told me earlier. Now I have too much on my mind." Victoria sighed and slumped her shoulders. "Do you have any tips to getting them to love me more?"

"Just be yourself." Sera told her truthfully. "They aren't big on the whole magic user thing, so you're good there. They know you're Sin'dorei and seeing as they're Kaldorei and okay with it, that's a big plus."

"So just be myself and don't use magic?" Victoria looked over to Snow who stood up and stretched before walking around in a circle a couple times and falling back to sleep at the foot of the bed. "And if I bring Snow, that will give me bonus points too, right?"

Sera nodded and smiled at her Queen. "Yes, that will."

Victoria let out a sigh of relief. "Good. I don't know why, but I always thought those who were meeting their other halfs parents for the first time shouldn't be nervous... Now it's my turn and I can understand why they are."

Sera kissed her Queen on the temple, bringing her in for a hug. "You'll be fine. Your parents love me, remember? So take it from me, you'll do great."

"That's not exactly fair." Victoria muttered into her chest. "You were in their service before they even adopted me."

Sera chuckled again. "Good point."

* * *

"Your Grace, it's good to see you here."

Victoria smiled and shook hands with the representitive of Westfall farms that she had seen several times in her council meetings. "It's been a year since I was handed the throne, I thought it was a good time to visit the people." She looked around at the crowd that was quickly forming, smiling at a couple of the children there and crouching down to level her height with them. "Hi there!" She said with a smile, getting a shy smile back from the brother and sister who tried to hide behind each other. "Don't worry, I won't bite." She extended both her arms out to them, watching them both slowly edge closer until she could give them a quick hug. "How are you both today?"

"Good." The sister said, looking to be the older out of the two and the more brave.

"That's great to hear." Victoria looked back to Snow who was laying in the dirt behind her, reaching for one of the satchels on his saddle on taking out two sweets she was carrying around just in case she came across children. "Here. From your Queen."

They both smiled at her brightly when she handed them the sweets and recieved another hug from them both before they ran off, standing up to look back at the council member. "As you can see, compared to your last trip, we have a few more houses here at Sentinal Hill as well as stronger walls to keep the Gnolls out."

Victoria nodded her head slowly, smiling back at the council member. "That's great news." She glanced over to her General who was talking to a few of the local guard here. "If ther is anything you need, my General can almost likely spare some of her soldiers to help out."

"Just a few murlocs along the coast, though they are a very minor threat as we get most of our fish and water from the Capital." The council member looked around Sentinal hill, remembering one thing that was brought to his attention. "There might be one thing the General can help us with."

Victoria tilted her head. "Oh? What is it?"

"Right now we just have a militia, your Grace. If you could spare her for a couple weeks, I'm hoping she can train a couple of them to become real soldiers who can then pass their training down to the rest of the militia." The councilman bowed his head to the Queen. "If it's not too much trouble?"

Victoria waved off his concern with a smile. "That's fine." She looked over to Sera and beckoned her over when their eyes met. "I have a new assignment for you, starting next week?" She asked, looking back at the councilman who nodded his head. "You will train some of the militia's officers here for a couple weeks so they can get proper training to then pass on to the rest of the militia."

Sera nodded her head at her Queen. "I'll gladly train some of the officers here, my Lady." She offered out a hand to the councilman in front of her. "Like the Queen said, I'll be by next week to start their training."

"Thank you, your Grace." The councilman said, bowing his head to her once more. "I will inform the Officers."

Victoria smiled and shook hands with those who came to her, most of them farmers though there were a few soldiers and women and children, the latter of which came running to her when word spread that she was visiting, quickly becoming surrounded by the little humans. "Did my parents ever do this?" She asked, looking up at her General who began to shake her head. "They visited the villages and towns under their control, right?"

"They did, but only for a few minutes to make sure nothing was burning. I'm not saying they were bad rulers, no. They were great at what they were doing, but they didn't have the connection to the people like you seem to be building." Sera smiled at her Queen. "Your parents were great at running a city, but they never had the personal touch that you have."

Victoria smiled at the children surrounding her, placing her hand on one of their heads and ruffling their hair as she stood up. "Then they missed out. Connecting with the people is the best way to know about their problems, how they live, work, what they eat and drink, where they sleep." Victoria looked over to her General who had a warm smile on her face. "I want to help improve the lives of my people, give them better homes and tools for their jobs." She looked back at the crowd surrounding her. "Starting next week, I want to improve at least one family's life a week. No matter what it takes, I want my people to know I am looking out for them."

"I think they will know, soon enough." Sera told her, taking hold of her hand. "We still have two more activities planned for today, then my parents are arriving in the Capital tomorrow for you to meet."

Victoria chuckled lightly at her General's eagerness to return home. "Okay, okay!" She kissed the top of Sera's hand. "Give me a few more minutes with these people, then we can go home."

Sera smiled at her Queen. "Deal."

* * *

"This place is very bright, Serathea. How can you stand to live here?"

"You get used to it, mother." Sera told her family matriarch, having their arms hooked together. "If you wish it, I can ask some of the servants to make yours and fathers room dark?"

"That would be wonderful, thank you Serathea."

"How many times do you need to be told Y'draeth? She prefers Sera than her full name." Sera's father grumbled, shuffling a couple paces behind the two of them.

"Oh hush, Kelren. My eldest doesn't mind, do you Serathea?"

Sera shook her head, smiling at both her parents. "I don't mind, mother. Call me what you wish, I know Baby Starlight would love a different nickname."

Y'draeth smiled and shook her head. "Never. She has the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen, especially when it's dark. They sparkle as if Elune herself had blessed her. It's just a shame she didn't have the ability to become a priestess, I know Tyrande would have seen her as a gift from our Goddess."

"Instead, she took on a life of killing people for money and now spends her time amongst those we cast out millenia ago." Kelren said in a low voice. "And now we're going to meet the daughter of those she is spending time with."

"And the woman I love." Sera told her father, knowing he was going to be the tricky one to win over for Victoria. "They're not all as bad as you paint them out to be, father. Victoria is kinda hearted and will do anything to make sure her people are well looked after. Just yesterday she -"

"I will be the judge of her character, Sera. I don't need you to tell me your love blinded side of things." Kelren told her, putting the conversation to bed like he always used to do.

"Yes, father..." Sera muttered, catching a glimpse of her mother looking a little frustrated by his close mindedness.

"I think she sounds like a great young woman." Y'draeth whispered to her daughter, patting the top of her hand. "I can't wait to meet her."

Sera smiled and held onto her mother's hand, squeezing it a little. "Thank you, mother."

Whilst Sera was walking with her parents from the Mage District to Stormwind Keep, Victoria was pacing back and forth in the throne room whilst Snow watched her, worrying about what to say, how to act in front of them and most importantly, if they will even like her. "Why did I agree to this, Snow?" She glanced over to the Nightsaber who was licking his paw. "You're right, it's because I love her and she has met my family."

As she continued to pace, she began to play out very unlikely scenarios in her head, most of the ranging from Sera's parents laughing at her and in turn making Sera laugh at her, breaking their relationship up in the process, to the extreme of them all killing her because she didn't shake their hands when offered. "I'm losing my mind, Snow." Hearing her Nightsaber purr put her more on edge than it should have. "What do you mean stay calm!? I am calm! Parents just don't like me, that's all." She rolled her eyes when Snow looked up at her. "I know I've never met anyone's parents, that's not the point."

Sitting down on her throne after a few more minutes of pacing, Victoria buried her head in her hands and groaned. "They're going to hate me." She muttered, hearing Snow yawn and groaning in her hands. "Easy for you to say, you're a Nightsaber. They're going to love you the moment they see you."

"Talking to Snow again?" Cyndia asked, having walked into the throne room on her way to the armoury.

"I'm freaking out, Cyandia." Victoria said, hugging herself to stop herself from exploading. "I've never met a girlfriends parents before, I don't know what to do, or say."

"And you're somehow the Queen of Stormwind..." The Captain muttered, shaking her head and walking towards the Queen. "Just act like yourself, my Lady. Your parents loved you just based on that, so I'm sure they will love you too."

"What if they don't?" Victoria cried, slumping down on the throne.

"Why wouldn't they?" Cyndia asked, standing beside her. "If you can give me one good reason as to why they would hate you, I will tell you this is a mistake."

"I..." Victoria frowned when she couldn't think of anything, hating that her Captain just pointed out the obvious to her. "I hate you..." She muttered, looking away frustrated and pouting.

Cyndia didn't take the comment seriously and just grinned at her Queen. "If you need me, I'll be in the armoury, my Lady. Though I suppose you'll be too busy charming Sera's parents."

Five minutes after she had left and the Captain was already proving to be correct as Sera had just arrived in the throne room with her parents. "Victoria, this is my mother Y'draeth and my father Kelren." Sera smiled at her Queen who quickly made her way over to them, leaning a little closer to her when she saw her over enthusiastic hand shaking. "Tone it down a little." She whispered, getting an apology in return from her.

"I can see why my Serathea fell for you, Victoria." Y'draeth said, taking hold of her hands. "You've got power, a Nightsaber who clearly adores you, at least from what we've been told, and you're so beautiful." She smiled at the Queen who smiled back at her, albeit completely shy.

"Question is, what do you see in our daughter?" Kelren asked, not meaning it to sound so harsh but still curious nonetheless.

"She's loyal and always thinks about others before herself. Especially when it comes to me." Victoria looked over to Kelren who was looking around the throne room. "I love her because she is always there for me."

Sera looked over to Y'draeth who was glaring at her father, squeezing her hand when Snow slowly walked towards her family, sniffing them to get used to their scent. "And this is Snow." She said, making her mother look down at the Nightsaber and watched her rub his cheeks. "He was my gift to Victoria when she asked about having a Nightsaber."

Y'draeth watched her daughter place a gentle hand on the Queen's cheek, smiling at the clear love they both had for each other as they gazed longingly into each other's eyes. "So what should I call you?" She asked Victoria, watched her gaze fall off her daugther and towards her. "Serathea said you're a Queen and judging by this city and where you were sitting moments ago, I would have to say it's true."

"You can call me Victoria." She said, smiling at Y'draeth and glancing over to Sera. "I try to tell your daughter to call me by my name, but she continues to address me as 'my Lady'." She shook her head at Sera who looked away from her and her mother when Y'draeth looked over to her. "Except today apparently. She wants to call me by my name in front of her parents."

Kelren broke a smile for the first time since arriving in Stormwind when he began to pet Snow. "We used to have a Nightsaber like him." He muttered, scratching behind his ear and making Snow purr loudly. "He sadly passed a couple centuries ago, a good friend gone." His smile turned sad, keeping his attention on only Snow. "This one here looks very healthy and very young." He looked over to Victoria now who was watching him. "Five years old?"

"About that, yes." Victoria began to smile when Snow showed a lot of trust towards this new visitor, having a feeling of warmth in her stomach that she was in fact bonding with Sera's parents. "He really likes you."

"Most creatures do." Y'draeth said, hooking an arm around Victoria's and looking to drag her away. "My husband is a druid. His gift didn't pass down to my daughters, but luckily they learnt how to fight from me."

"You were a sentinal too?" Victoria asked, being dragged towards a different room by Y'draeth and being followed by Sera who left her father alone with Snow.

"For a time, yes. But when my Baby Starlight was ready, she took over from me as Captain of the Sentinals of Darnassus." Y'draeth smiled as she remembered the last time she saw her youngest. "She has changed a lot since then, but I know my little girl is still in there."

"I take it she took your last name too?" Victoria now asked, watching her nod.

"Moonbow, yes. Serathea wanted to keep the family name of Leafwhisper, but Elaria? She thought it suited her more." Y'draeth sat down on a nearby couch with Victoria, taking hold of her hands once more and resting them on the Queen's knees. "So answer me one thing. Both my daughters have found women who love them, Elaria telling me that she has no desire to have children and Serathea..." She looked over to her daughter. "She doesn't like to talk about it, but I know deep down she wants children one day. Maybe not someday soon, but perhaps in the next century or two." She looked backed to Victoria. "So do you also want children someday? And if so, when?"

Victoria was a loss for words at the sudden pressure she had dropped her on to answer the questions. She looked up to Sera for aid but the Night Elf was also lost for words. "I... I..."

Y'draeth knew her question would be too much for the Queen and began to chuckle lightly, patting her on the hand. "It's okay. You're still young, not even at your half century. You have plenty of time to give me an answer."

Victoria laughed along with Y'draeth, watching her walk towards a nearby table that had food placed on it and looking over to Sera who mouthed an apology to her Queen. "Elaria doesn't want kids?" She asked outloud, looking back to Y'draeth who shook her head.

"Apparently this Luna woman had kids on her home planet, but lost them when a war broke out along with her husband. She just wants a quiet life now and I respect that." Y'draeth had a sad smile on her face. "I don't want to know what it feels like to have lost everything and to be forced away from your home, let alone planet."

"Hopefully we won't ever have to experience that here." Victoria said, having Y'draeth sit inbetween her and Sera when both Night Elves sat down on the couch with her. "How long do you plan to stay? Not that I don't enjoy the company, I'll gladly keep you here forever if you so wish."

Y'draeth laughed and shook her head. "No, that's okay. Kelren and I will be here for a couple days then we must head back to Darnassus. Thank you though." She looked over to her daughter who was holding onto Victoria's hands, whispering to her in private. "Serathea, darling, can you show us where we'll be staying? I'd like to give the room a feeling of home."

Sera smiled at Victoria, kissing the top of her hands and making her way to her mother. "Follow me."


	24. Chapter 24

**Early Signs**

"Why is this problem being brought to us now?"

Victoria kept her head propped up by her fist as she leant on it during this council meeting, missing Sera as she was gone for an entire month to deal with a problem that arose a couple days ago in Duskwood and now hating that she chose her General over one of her Captains to deal with it. "Yes, why is it exactly?" She said, sitting up and looking towards Deputy Rainer who was the Officer in charge of Westbrook Garrison.

"Because we have tried all of our best efforts for the past two years since you gave us those reinforcements, your Grace. Nothing has worked to stem the tide of Gnolls that seem to be unending." The Deputy looked around at the council, keeping his helmet tucked under his arm. "We need more men. Mages more than anything and a priest or two. Something that could help clear out the dens quicker than they can reproduce as well as keep my men alive."

"Your Grace, I can go to Westbrook with some of my mages to help them."

Victoria looked over to her Royal Magister, Thal'ena. "Are you sure? You don't have to go there yourself."

"I will gladly go myself, your Grace. Gives me a chance to see anything but the walls surrounding this city and out into the forests again." Thal'ena bowed her head to Victoria who remained sat on her throne, thinking about whether or not she should send Thal'ena out there, leaving her with one less friend in the city. "If you would allow it, your Grace."

Over the last two and a bit years she had been Queen, she had yet to come to blows with the Royal Magister, regarding her as a close friend and knowing she would miss seeing her face for the next week or however long it would take to clear out the Gnolls. Which is what made it difficult for her to come to an answer for both the Deputy and the Magister. "Okay." She said, standing up from her throne and walking towards Thal'ena. "Yes you can go help them." She said, taking hold of one of her hands. "Just try to make it quick." She whispered, hugging the Royal Magister. "My list of friends is growing smaller as the month goes on, which is why I need you to be quick about this."

"I will be, Victoria." She whispered back, leaving a peck on the cheek that went unnoticed to the rest of the council that stood behind her. "And then this Gnoll problem will be dealt with indefinately."

Victoria let go of the Royal Magister and watched her depart from the council along with the Deputy, sitting back on her throne and having Snow walk around and lay at her feet, giving her the best form of comfort her could from this position. "Are there any other concerns that need addressing today?"

"There is one." A council member said, stepping forward and making the Queen frown as it was the one from Sentinal Hill. "There have been some disturbing reports from our scouts. Apparently they are coming across tainted land, your Grace."

"Tainted how?" Victoria asked, sitting forward a little to listen carefully to what he had to say.

"The land was black as if it had been scarred and had small pockets of green flame." He looked at the council who mostly seemed confused by the description, though a few of the older council members thought it sounded familiar and expressed that in their body language. "Cows that had been missing for a few days turned up dead around the land and a banner placed in the middle of them." He clicked his fingers and two soldiers walked passed the rest of the council and placed the banner down on the floor in front of everyone.

"The Burning Legion..." A Draenei said in the middle of the council, having everyone look over to him. "They are back." He said to them all, making the entire council erupt into a symphony of whispers and mutterings.

"Are you sure?" Victoria asked, looking at the Draenei.

"It's a tactic they use before launching a full scale invasion of their chosen planet." He told them, stepping into the middle of the room and addressing them all. "This is just the start of what is to be an all out war."

"How long do we have?" Victoria asked him now, watching the Draenei begin to think about his response.

"This seems like the first reported incident, so expect these signs to happen for another year before something changes." He sighed and looked over to the Queen. "Then their invasion will begin phase two, placing spies into the higher places of the world. So in this council for instance." He looked around at the council members who began to look at each other. "Get to know each other's faces and how they act and react. If you feel like something is off, report it in." He looked back to the Queen who was now taking everything in. "Then they will try to weaken their enemies by turning us against each other."

"What is phase one?" Victoria asked, noticing he didn't say.

"By the sound of it, they are striking fear into the planet so they can cut through us with ease. Because if we fear what is to come, we won't have the courage to stand against the tide of demons that will surely follow." The Draenei looked around at everyone once more. "I will report back to Prophet Velen of this news and hopefully he can inform you in more detail of what to expect and how to counter their tactics."

Victoria now watched the Draenei begin to leave the throne room, having the remaining council look at her for guidance. "Everyone go about your lives as normal and don't tell anyone about this just yet." She told them, standing up from her throne. "I don't want chaos to roam the streets of my city when we don't even know what we are going to be up against. For all we know, it could be someone pretending to be the Burning Legion just to scare people."

As everyone agreed and began to leave, Victoria sat back down on her throne for good this time and began to let her mind wonder. Was it actually the Burning Legion coming back again to reclaim a planet that has eluded them? Time would surely tell and fortunately, she had a lot of time to spare, though she was waiting to plan out what to do with Sera when she returns.

Glancing over to her right when she saw some movement, her eyes rested on one of her servants. Chloe was her name, the raven haired human woman who she was most fond of out of the three and could sense she felt the same. "Come here." She said quietly, beckoning the woman over and tapping her hand on her lap and seeing a smile on the human's face when she sat down on it. "What are you up to?" Victoria asked, having the human rest her head on her shoulder.

"Is it true that the Burning Legion are coming back?" She asked, wrapping her arms around Victoria's neck and holding onto the Queen who was treating her not like a servant at this time, but like a friend.

"I don't know." Victoria told her honestly, kissing the top of her head and stroking her back lightly with the tips of her fingers, feeling Chloe shiver at her ghost like touches. "Were you listening in on our meeting by chance?" She asked the woman on her lap.

"Not on purpose." Chloe admitted. "I was trying to head to my room and forgot everyone was in here. It won't happen again."

Victoria held onto her servant a little tighter for reassurance. "That's okay, I'm not angry at you." She sighed, closing her eyes when she pressed her head against the human's. "I'm happy that you are here though, I miss my purple-haired beauty of a General and needed the company."

"Forgotten her name already, your Grace?" Chloe asked jokingly, making Victoria chuckle.

"It's been so long, I barely remember what she looks like." Victoria joked, having Chloe snuggle up to her. "Normally I would refrain from doing this with you or the other girls in public, but I sense you're worried and I need the company so I'll allow it." She smiled when the younger woman held onto her tightly, forgetting she was only twenty-two until this moment and realising she had never seen the Burning Legion's affects on the world, only hearing about them through stories. "We'll be okay." She whispered to her, stroking her hair now. "Sera and I will come up with a plan, along with the rest of my Officers."

Chloe watched all the guards standing around the throne room begin to leave, smiling and closing her eyes when she was left alone with the Queen. "Closing the Keep for the day, your Grace?"

"I am." Victoria admitted, nudging the woman on her lap lightly. "Go get Amanda and Sophie, I figured we could all relax today in the Keep."

"A girls day?" Chloe asked, standing up off her lap and smiling at her.

"Precisely." Victoria said, standing up and looking down at Snow who was watching her from where he lay. "And Snow. Girls day and Snow."

* * *

Over the next week, several scouts had been sent out as well as dignitaries to all the major cities on a top secret mission for their leaders eyes alone. It was to inform them of what they found in Westfall and to keep an eye out for such signs as well as warning them to keep it on the down low as to not scare the civilians. "I didn't come across anything whilst at Westbrook." Thal'ena said, standing at the door to her Queen's chambers and watching her watch Tanadia play with Snow. "Perhaps it's not the Burning Legion."

"Or it might be and they are yet to leave another sign. I was informed they would do this for a year at most, scaring the civilians and allowing their agents to become a part of our population." Victoria glanced back to Thal'ena who was now watching Tanadia. "Did you clear out all the Gnolls?"

"I did, your Grace. It wasn't difficult once we got a system going, Westbrook should be good to patrol the forests without being ambushed by them." Thal'ena bowed her head to her Queen. "Is there anything else?"

"Yes, actually." Victoria went to her dresser and picked up a box, taking off the lid and handing it to the Royal Magister. "I kept the banner, just in case it could be of some use. I need you and a selected few mages you can trust to keep their mouths shut to examine this."

"What should I be looking for?" Thal'ena asked, taking the box off her Queen.

"Anything that could tell us this was from the Burning Legion. Magic residue, fel energy, something." Victoria placed the lid over the box and looked at the Royal Magister. "Just find something to give me the all clear to build up our defences. I don't want to spend all my city's gold on reinforcing our walls and recruiting new soldiers if it's for nothing."

"I'll see what my mages and I can find out. I may have to go to Dalaran or Silvermoon, but I will give you an answer." Thal'ena bowed her head to Victoria. "Your Grace." She said, dismissing herself to begin her task.

"So what are you getting me for my fourteenth birthday?" Tanadia asked, looking up at her sister who sat back down on the bed behind her.

"Fourteenth? You know we celebrate every ten years until we hit a century old, then it's every quarter century after that." Victoria saw her sister's smile fade away and be replaced by sadness, rolling her eyes and sliding off the bed until she sat beside the young priestess. "Okay, fine... What do you want? I'll see if I can pull some strings."

Tanadia smiled up at her though it was a sad smile, one that made Victoria realise it was going to be a tough thing to get. "I want my dad to be there." She muttered, looking over to Snow and placing a hand on his head. "He missed my last two birthdays and I want him to be there for this one." She looked back up to her sister. "I was hoping you could talk him into being there for this one."

Victoria smiled and pulled her sister in for a hug. "I will see what I can do. And I will ask him why he hasn't been there for the last two, okay?" She kissed her sister on her temple. "I'm sure he has a good reason, our father loves us and wouldn't do anything to make us upset."

"I want him to see that I am growing up too. Ever since he left to be with his other family, I have seen him three times." Tanadia sighed, hugging herself and looking down at her feet as she curled up into a ball, still sitting beside Victoria who looked sorry for her. "My mother won't let me leave her side, even when she has company over."

"She is still trying to find someone?" Victoria asked, having never really seen the Magister much over the last two years. "The last time I spoke to your mother was the week before my parents got re-married."

"Yeah, well... She only lets me out to go to my lessons with Liadrin and on the rare occasions, go to the Trade District to pick up a few things she forgot to get. I don't even get to see my friends outside of my lessons." Tanadia sighed again, resting her head on her sister's shoulder. "I thought staying here would be fun. To be near you and Snow, in the Capital."

"She has let you out to see me today though." Victoria told her, hugging her sister. "I can go talk to her if you want? As Queen of this city more than as your sister."

"Could you? I'm not a kid anymore but she acts like I am and stops me from doing anything I want." Tanadia smiled a little when Snow rest his head on her lap, rubbing his cheeks to keep herself calm as she was more angered by how sheltered she had been lately more than upset.

"Okay, give me a few minutes and I'll make my way over there." Victoria kissed her sister on the temple once more and stood up. "Keep Snow company whilst I'm away?"

Tanadia nodded her head and continued to give Snow as much love as she could muster. "Will do."

Making her way to the Mage District, Victoria was coming up with ways to talk to Thalina without angering her, making her feel like she knew better than the mother of the child in question and other negative thoughts. She just wanted her sister to have more freedom, to come and go whenever she liked, something she had allowed day one of her reign. "I'll just ask her to give Tanadia more freedom. Simple."

But when she arrived in the Mage District and climbed the Mage Tower, she froze just outside Thalina's room and her mind went blank the moment Thalina opened the door despite her not knocking. "Your Grace? What can I do for you?"

"Hi Thal." Victoria said with a smile. "I am here for you. Well, I'm here for Tanadia, but it's to talk to you."

"Oh?" Thalina began to smile at the Queen. "How is she?"

"She's fine, Thal." Victoria said, walking into the room when Thalina moved out of the way. "I am here to ask you to give Tanadia some more freedom. She's not a little kid anymore and she just wants to be with her friends."

"Oh..." Thalina began to walk away from the Queen, coming across a picture of Tanadia when she was the tiny elf that slept in her arms as a baby. "I know I've been sheltering her from the outside world. But in my eyes she's still the little girl that would come running to me after she got bored of whatever it was she was doing and would hug me so tightly that her arms would get tired after a while." Thalina smiled at the picture. "I guess I just miss that little girl."

Victoria hugged the Magister when she saw her continue to stare at the picture. "I know you do. But you have to give her some freedom, Thal. If she makes mistakes or gets into trouble whilst she's out there, then it's a good chance for her to learn from the mistake that got her into trouble in the first place."

"I guess you're right." Thalina muttered, moving her thumb over the picture as if to stroke her daughter with it. "They grow up so fast..."

Victoria chuckled at the comment, nodded her head in agreement. "They do. My brother is now closing in on seven and I have barely seen him."

"See, now that is worse than what I have been doing." Thalina told her. "He's family, you should visit him often. Titans knows your parents are missing you greatly."

"I was actually planning to see them within the next couple of days. Tanadia wants to have Athrodar here for her fourteenth. I tried to tell her that's an obscure birthday to celebrate, but she didn't care." Victoria shrugged her shoulders, looking at the Magister who placed the picture back where it was sitting. "So are you going to give her more freedom to roam around the city? She is my Princess after all, I don't know how I can explain it that she is being locked away by her mother."

"Yes, I'll give her more freedom. Tell her I am sorry, I just wanted to hold onto that little girl that would run into my arms just a while longer." Thalina smiled at the Queen. "You should go see your family. I'm sure your council will understand if you take a couple days off to be with them."

Victoria smiled back at the Magister. "I had planned to do so tomorrow."

"Go today." Thalina told her, placing a hand on her arm. "Surprise them and spend the rest of the week with them."

Victoria thought about arguing her point on going tomorrow for a couple of days, but then she was reminded of how Thalina felt with her daughter and began to smile a little brighter at the Magister. "I'll inform your daughter that you are planning to give her more freedom, then I will go home to my family." She stepped forward and hugged Thalina tightly. "Thank you for listening to your daughter's problem and then helping me with mine." She pulled back and smiled at the shorter yet older elf. "I'll be going now, leaving Snow with your daughter until I return."

Thalina laughed lightly, a little worried about having a Nightsaber in her chambers. "Great. I'm sure she will love having him around... Me however."

Victoria laughed lightly now, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You'll be fine. He is very tame to everyone unless they pose a threat."

"I'll keep that in mind..." Thalina muttered as Victoria left her chambers in the Mage Tower.

* * *

"Keep your arm straight." Sylvanas said softly, crouching beside her son who was learning to use a bow. "Make sure the arrow is level to your eye, look down it and towards your target."

Whilst his wife was teaching their son Tahnir how to use a bow, Athrodar had their daughter on his knee whilst he sat beside his mother, both of them watching Tahnir's second week learning how to use a bow whilst Alleria, the youngest member of their family on his knee, was distracted by the stuffed lynx toy in her hands. "So we were speaking earlier about taking a small trip. Any ideas on where?"

Illana tilted her head a little, trying to think of somewhere on Azeroth they could go. "What are you looking for?"

Athrodar began to smile a little, looking over to Sylvanas who was focused souly on their son. "She wants to go somewhere cold so we have to stay as close as possible to each other."

"So a place with snow for the entire family? Or both of you?"

Athrodar's smile widened at the question. "Definately the two of us. She loves her children, but we've barely had time alone the last two years and I think she misses how often we were over each other when out in the world."

Illana smiled when she saw her son's gaze fixed on his wife, placing a hand on his arm to get his attention back onto the conversation. "How about Winterspring? Or Dun Morogh? I can't imagine you'd want to go back to Northrend."

"Her mind has been set on Winterspring. We've been to Dun Morogh and Northrend, so it only makes sense that we go to Winterspring." Athrodar's gaze went back to Sylvanas but only for a second as he saw an elf approaching them in the distance, smiling and placing Alleria on the bench he sat on and walking passed his wife, making his way towards the approaching elf. "Victoria..." He said softly, holding out his arms and having his eldest run into them and hug him tightly. "Your mother is going to be an emotional wreck when her focus is removed from your brother."

"I'm sorry I haven't visited in over a year. I have been so busy that I -"

Athrodar shook his head and placed his hand on her arm. "Don't. We understand why you've not visited, your mother especially. She will just be so happy that her first child has come home to her."

Sylvanas looked over to Athrodar who wasn't on the bench she thought he was on, looking around and locking eyes with Victoria who looked over to her just as she looked at her daughter, standing up slowly and watching her eldest make her way over to her quickly. "Tahnir, put the bow down for now." She muttered, catching Victoria when she jumped at her and holding onto her first child tightly. "Your sister has come home." She whispered, bombarding Victoria's cheek with kisses.

"I'm home, mama..." Victoria whispered, feeling her chest tighten all of a sudden when she felt the security in her mother's arms, showing no signs of being a Queen and instead shifting back to the innocent young ranger that spent the majority of her life trying to emulate the woman hugging her now. "I'm sorry I didn't visit earlier, mama."

Sylvanas shook her head, closing her eyes and letting a few tears of joy run down her face whilst she held onto her daughter as if her life depended on it. "It's okay, honey. You are here now, that's all that matters."

"I've missed you all." Victoria told her when they pulled away for the briefest moment to look at each other. "I was talking to Thalina and it occured to me I hadn't seen you all in so long that I was missing out on my brother and sister growing up."

"You can stay as long as you like." Athrodar said, standing behind Victoria and placing a hand on her back. "You know we will always love to have you here. Forever preferably, but we won't force you into anything."

Sylvanas reached behind her daughter and gripped Athrodar's shirt, pulling him into their hug and squashing Victoria between them. "I love you both." The Queen said, smiling and keeping her eyes closed as her parents hugged her from both sides.

"We love you too." Sylvanas whispered to her daughter, holding her close to her chest. "And it grows as the days pass and we hear all the things you do whilst in charge of Stormwind."

"That reminds me." Victoria said, looking over her shoulder and towards her father. "Tanadia has asked you to be there for her fourteenth birthday." She held up a hand when Athrodar was about to speak, interrupting him. "She knows we celebrate every ten years as a society, but she really wants you to be there."

Athrodar smiled and nodded his head. "I'll be there. I haven't seen my little priestess in a whilst and I would love to be there." He saw Sylvanas look at him and rolled his eyes. "Your mother will be there too, she misses your sister as much as I."

Victoria let go of her mother, looking passed her and towards her brother and sister. "Go to them." Sylvanas said when she saw Victoria hesitated to move. "Your brother has asked for you a numerous amount of times over the last two years. Your sister however knows you exist and live in Stormwind, but hasn't asked for you." She nudged Victoria with her arm when she still didn't move. "Go. Maybe you can imprint yourself on your sister and make her want you around."

Victoria smiled a little, making her way over to her brother and sister and being hugged by Tahnir the moment she crouched down beside him. "Hello brother." She whispered, kissing his cheek. "You're growing up so fast, you'll be as strong as dad very soon." She told him smiling when he smiled at her. "Are you keeping our parents safe?"

Tahnir nodded his head. "I am, yeah. Mom is teaching me how to use a bow."

"Oh? I hope you can show me sometime soon." Victoria looked over to Alleria who was shying away from her gaze, hiding behind Illana. "I'm going to go talk to our sister." She said, rustling his hair before making her way to Alleria and crouching down in front of her and placing a hand on her foot. "Hey, little one." She said in a soft voice, smiling at her and making Alleria smile a little. "I'm your big sister, Victoria."

Alleria looked up at Illana who nodded her head. "She is." Illana said, smiling at Victoria who smiled up at her. "How are you, little one?"

"I'm good, Illana. Just missing you all." Victoria's gaze went back to her sister and looked at the stuffed lynx toy in her hands. "Who's this?" She asked, watching Alleria hug the toy.

"Paws." Alleria said, hugging the toy a little tighter. "He's my friend."

Victoria moved to sit on the bench, watching Alleria try to hide behind Illana once more. "It's okay, I won't hurt you." She saw her continue to hug the stuffed toy. "I have a friend like Paws at home. My friend is called Snow and he is so big and fluffy, I wished I had brought him with me for you to meet."

Illana watched Alleria shuffle closer to her. "I'm sure you can meet Snow soon." She said, looking at her younger granddaughter who was now getting comfortable with Victoria. "And I know you will love him."

"I just have to fight your other sister off him." Victoria muttered, hearing Illana chuckle and watching her shake her head. "She loves him so much, I barely get to be with him when she visits." She shrugged her shoulders and looked down at Alleria once more. "But I will gladly bring him with me the next time I visit. Or if you come to Stormwind with mom and dad."

Sylvanas made her way to her daughters, picking up Alleria when she stretched her arms out towards her and sitting her on her hip. "Come inside, get settled and we can talk some more." She said to Victoria, watching her stand up and walking with her towards Windrunner Manor. "I never said, but welcome home." She said, handing Alleria over to Victoria when the little elf stretched out her arms towards her. "And get used to this. She loves being hugged and I think she gets that from her father."

Victoria laughed and looked over to Athrodar who was teaching Tahnir how to use a bow in Sylvanas' absence. "We both know she gets that from you, mom. You love having his arms around you."

Sylvanas chuckled and nodded her head. "That's true. I hope things are going well with you and Sera, we've not heard much on that front."

Victoria smiled when she thought about her General. "Things are great. I met her parents a few months ago and they loved me, so it's clear to say that I have a way with people."

"As long as you're having fun as Queen." Sylvanas said, placing a hand on her cheek. "It's not worth staying in charge if you're not enjoying it."

"I am. I'm loving the freedom and the chance to build on what you and dad have already done." Victoria said, feeling at home the second she entered Windrunner Manor. "But a part of me does miss all of you and wished I could be here."

"Like your father said, you are welcome here any time you begin to miss us. We will never turn you away." Sylvanas kissed Victoria on the cheek and the Alleria, leaving her two daughters alone when the Queen went to her bedroom.


	25. Chapter 25

**A Word of Warning**

Over the past year, Victoria had been getting reports of several similar signs that the Burning Legion were coming, none more so than from Admiral Wilson who had been tasked to sail up an down the coasts of the Eastern Kingdoms, gathering reports from local villages and towns on such signs.

"Windrunner Harbour has reported seeing similar signs, your Grace. It's been happening all over the Wetlands actually." The Admiral looked over to Sera who narrowed her eyes at the human. "Apparently they have a few worshipers hiding around the area that they have yet to track down. It's scaring the civilians in Windrunner Harbour, your Grace."

"Damn it..." Victoria muttered, looking over to Sera who continued to narrow her eyes at the Admiral. "What about Westfall, Redridge and Duskwood?" She asked the General, regrabbing her attention.

Sera bowed her head at the Queen. "I have found that most of the reports are coming in from Westfall. By the looks of things, that place is a hotspot for the Burning Legion."

Victoria sighed and went to thank the General, but then she saw that she was holding something back. "What else?" She asked, making Sera flinch a little.

"Tyrande is visiting the city in the next hour or two. Apparently she has had the same signs about the Burning Legion and looks like she is coming here to compare notes." Sera bowed her head to Victoria again. "I'm sorry that this is last minute, my Lady, but I only found out a few minutes before we started."

"Fucking hell..." Victoria groaned, covering her face with her hands. "I'm not in the mood for a meeting with the High Priestess. Especially if it's about these Burning Legion banners, rituals or whatever it is they are doing." She sighed and sunk down in her throne. "I haven't seen her since we were all in Pandaria three years ago. We didn't even get along there if memory serves me right, she liked my mother more."

"Then now will be a perfect time to make a good impression." The Admiral said, smiling at her Queen. "Show her that you have a plan to deal with whatever the Burning Legion plan to do. You have already fortified Stormwind, Goldshire, Northshire and Lakeshire. Sentinal Hill is under construction as we speak. If the High Priestess knows that your people will be safe behind the walls that have been erected, she may send some of her people here who aren't as protected."

"As much as I hate to admit it, the Admiral is right." Sera said, rolling her eyes at the smug look Emma gave her. "If you can show Tyrande that her people may be safe in the city, she might send them here."

"So you're both saying Darnassus isn't safe?" Victoria asked, watching both woman try to defend their points but found that the words wouldn't come. "I don't think she will send her people here." She told them. "Darnassus is probably safer than here and she has a plan for her people anyway." Victoria looked over to Sera. "I need you to meet her. I'd rather have my General meet the High Priestess than anyone else, especially since you're Kaldorei."

Sera bowed her head to her Queen. "Yes, my Lady. Sounds like a good idea."

The Admiral watched Sera leave with the royal guards, stepping closer to the Queen when she sensed Victoria was on edge. "You look like you could use a distraction." She whispered, standing beside her throne and sitting on the arm of it, waving her hand in front of her and summoning her pet Succubi from the shadows.

"You know I told you to not summon her in here. Only when we're somewhere private." Victoria looked over to the Admiral who had pulled her hood down and began to stroke her hair, already falling into her trap. "Do you think you can leave me with her? Just for a few minutes?"

The Admiral chuckled and kissed the top of her Queen's head. "Of course, your Grace. Just call for me when you want a third party. I'll be in the war room."

"Shyvia, isn't it?" Victoria asked, watching the succubus seductively walk over to her, deliberately swaying her hips and flicking her tail around to entice the Queen into throwing herself at the demoness.

"It is, your Grace." She said almost professionally, sitting on Victoria's lap the second she got close enough. "You are a rare thing, allowing a Warlock to be so close and high up in your army."

"I didn't know she was a Warlock at the time." Victoria whispered to the succubus, closing her eyes when she began to nip at her neck. "But she has proven to be very useful."

"And your General?" Shyvia asked, trailing a long lick up her neck and across her ear, making the Queen shiver with delight. "I can see that she doesn't like my master. Will that be a problem in the future?"

"Not if they can keep from going at each other's throats." Victoria began to work on taking off the tight-leather bodice Shyvia was wearing, hearing the demoness giggle when she dropped it to the floor. "You know what to do." She whispered to her, watching the succubus grin and slide down her body until she was on her knees, pulling down the Queen's leggings.

"With pleasure, your Grace." Shyvia purred, knowing all the right places to kiss, lick and touch to get the Queen moaning.

* * *

The meeting with Tyrande took much longer than either of them expecting with the High Priestess opting to stay in Stormwind for the night before returning to Darnassus. Something that intrigued the Queen's servants as they were tasked with looking after Tyrande should she call on them, though at the moment they were bathing their Queen who was practically sleeping in the tub.

"Long day, your Grace?" Chloe asked, washing Victoria's hair.

"Very." Victoria muttered, closing her eyes and letting the three of them do their jobs.

"Where's the General?" Amanda asked, massaging her Queen's feet and rubbing her hands up and down her legs.

"Doing a last minute task I gave her. She should be back just before I go to sleep." Victoria began to get too comfortable in the tub, sinking down a little as her tiredness began to catch up to her. "Which is closing in sooner than later." She said, sitting up when she realised she was sliding down.

"What task?" Chloe asked, stroking her Queen's hair some more.

"Just a quick..." Victoria yawned, covering her mouth with the back of her hand and blinking hard twice to try and wake herself up. "... A quick errand. Something popped up in Westfall that needed a quick look at. Shouldn't be more than an hour."

Sophie looked over to her Queen who had closed her eyes once more. "Does she know about the Admiral and her Succubus?" She asked, watching Victoria open her eyes.

"No, she doesn't." Victoria told her, narrowing her eyes at the servant sitting on her lap, washing the upper half of her body. "And she won't ever know." She looked away from Sophie and towards the assortment of soaps and incenses to her right. "The Admiral and her Succubus have some sort of grip over me... I can't be alone with them."

"Do you think she is a part of the Burning Legion?" Chloe asked, having that thought on her mind ever since the first time she saw the Succubi. "You told me they could send spies to infiltrate our cities and disrupt us."

"She's not a spy." Victoria said with almost certainty. "She became my Admiral before these signs began to appear and is a Warlock. They enslave demons into their service as well, so she is to be trusted on that front." The Queen looked over to the nearby bathrobe, pointing her finger towards it. "Hand me my robe." She said, watching Chloe make her way over to it and climbing out of the tub in the meantime. "And come sleep with me, until Sera arrives."

All three servants followed their Queen to her bed, climbing in on both sides once she was settled and cuddling up to her before they all drifted off to sleep within a few minutes of each other, staying in the bed together for the rest of the night as Sera hadn't returned to Stormwind yet. Something that the Queen noticed a few seconds after waking up the next day.

"Sera?" Victoria called out, sitting up and looking down at the three woman who were sleeping either side of her. "Are you here?"

When there was no response, the Queen began to climb out of bed, trying to not wake up her servants and successfully doing that as she made her way to the wardrobe and picked out her ranger outfit before crouching down in front of Snow who yawned where he was laying. "Stay here, little one. I am going to be an hour at most, I just need to check on a few things before I come back here." She smiled at the Nightsaber who lowered his head back down onto his paws. "Sera didn't come home last night, so I need to send out a few scouts, check the barracks and with the other Officers, just to check if she fell asleep somewhere else."

As she opened the door however, she saw Sera standing outside in the hallway, talking to a messenger and glancing over her shoulder towards her Queen. "My Lady! I'm so sorry I took so long, the forest trolls you sent me to deal with were larger in number than we first realised. They had reinforcements from Zul'Gurub and gave us a good fight, though we were still victorious." Sera thanked the messenger she was talking to and was left alone with her Queen. "I apologise again, my Lady." She said softly, being hugged by the smaller elf. "But I have just been given some more good news that you will want to hear."

"Oh? What news?" Victoria asked, not letting go of her General as she kept her arms around her in a hug.

"Your mother is pregnant." Sera told her, feeling Victoria pull back and smiling at her. "A couple months at the moment, perfectly timed with their trip to Winterspring so it's safe to say the enjoyed the alone time." The General saw Victoria begin to smile at the idea of having another sibling. "I'm sure we will get more updates as the months go by."

"It's going to be another girl." Victoria said with the utmost confidence. "My father has three biological children and an adopted one. Three of us are girls, one is a boy and if it's to be believed, his family have only had boys, so it's only natural that he is the one to have more daughters." She began to laugh at the idea of having a third sister. "Plus he surrounds himself with women, so it's only natural that most of his children are girls."

Sera chuckled and kissed her Queen lightly, having her deepen it so much that the Night Elf had to hold herself up against the wall. "Wow..." She breathed, hearing Victoria chuckle as her head began to spin. "You missed me that much, huh?"

"I thought something bad happened, yes." Victoria hugged her General once more. "With all these signs that the Burning Legion are coming, I was worried you were captured by some of their spies."

"They would have captured the wrong elf if that were to happen." Sera told her with a smirk. "I would have cut their heads off before they could interrogate me."

"As long as you're safe with me, that's all that matters." Victoria muttered, holding onto her General tightly.

Sera held onto her Queen until she was certain she wasn't worried about her anymore, though that didn't last as long as she had hoped as they were interrupted by another messenger after a couple minutes. "Your Grace." They said, bowing their head to the General and Queen. "There is a visitor in the throne room. He says his name is Khadgar."

Victoria frowned at the messenger. "Why do I know that name?" She asked, looking up at Sera who shrugged her shoulders. "Tell him I'll be there as soon as possible."

Sera listened to the messenger begin to leave, leaning down and kissing her Queen once more. "Let's go see what this Khadgar wants. Maybe talking to him will jog our memory."

"It's going to be so obvious, isn't it?" Victoria asked, walking beside Sera as they made their way to the throne room. "Like... It's going to be staring us right in the face."

"I don't think he will be offended if we don't recognise him at first." Sera told her Queen. "Just play nice, be yourself and I'm sure he will be okay with it."

Entering the throne room, Victoria looked over to Khadgar who stood in front of the throne, looking around the throne room and smiling a little as he remembered this room fondly. "I stood exactly here when I was talking to Turalyon and Alleria before we came up with the plan to push the Orcish Horde back to Outland." He looked over to Victoria who suddenly realised who he was, smiling at her wide eyed expression. "I knew your aunt, yes."

"Khadgar..." Victoria muttered, smiling a little when she remembered the stories she heard about the legendary mage and the Sons of Lothar. "Do you know where she is?" She asked, sitting forward on the throne.

"I'm afraid not." Khadgar said, letting out a small sigh. "But I still believe she is out there with Turalyon. They're both strong as individuals, but together? Nothing will take them down."

Victoria smiled and looked over to Sera who stood beside her throne. "As much as I would love to sit here all day and listen to stories of my aunt Alleria, I presume that's not why you're here?"

"Unfortunately not, your Grace." Khadgar said, holding onto a wooden staff in his hand with a raven crafted on the top, a symbol of the Guardian that would protect Azeroth, another story Victoria was familiar with. "I have been to Orgrimmar, Dalaran and Ironforge, informing them of a looming threat that will happen sometime soon." He waved his hand and summoned an image of the green fire surrounding an army of demons. "As you know, the Burning Legion have begun the first stages of their assault by sowing descent around Azeroth. But the predictions on the next stage of their plan was off, way off. Stage two has already happened, your Grace."

Victoria frowned at the mage, leaning back on her throne now and looking over to Sera who looked back at her. "How do you know this?"

"Dalaran have caught several demons over the last few months and imprisoned them in the Violet Hold. They have been here for half a year already." Khadgar waved his hand again and changed the image from a standard image of the Burning Legion to the Tomb of Sargeras. "This is where I believe they will start the assault, on the tomb of their leader."

"When will this happen? How long do we have?"

Khadgar shook his head. "I'm afraid I do not know. All I can say is that you and every other leader needs to get their armies ready. I fear the assault will happen within the year and we must be prepared for it."

Victoria nodded her head at Khadgar. "We will be prepared, Khadgar. I will tell Tyrande to do the same when she joins us." She looked over to Sera who nodded her head at her and leaving almost instantly. "Thank you for the warning."

"I will be making my way to Silvermoon and Undercity. Lor'themar and Nathanos will be ready I presume?" Khadgar asked.

"Undercity will be, yes. I'm afraid I can't answer for Silvermoon, though they will be ready I'm sure." Victoria stood up and offered her hand to Khadgar. "Stay as long as you need before you head out. I will have my people look after you until you're ready to leave."

Khadgar took hold of her hand and shook it, smiling at the Queen. "Thank you, your Grace. I will be leaving tomorrow for Undercity and Silvermoon before heading to Theramore." He laughed lightly at the Queens frown. "I know, I should have gone there when I visited Thunder Bluff and Orgrimmar, but I'm saving Varian for last as I plan to spend time there to talk to Jaina and learn as much as I can from her library."

"Feel free to visit Windrunner Village and inform them on what you have discovered. Despite my parents wanting to stay out of the life of war, they want to keep in the loop." Victoria smiled when Khadgar laughed lightly and nodded his head. "Perhaps you can talk about Alleria to her sister, I know she would love to hear the stories you have."

Khadgar smiled and bowed his head to the Queen. "I'll keep that in mind, thank you."

* * *

"Welcome to the fifth year of our Ranger Academy." Alina said, walking back and forth in front of the new recruits. "We have seen a sharp increase in our budget, allowing more of you in, better equipment for you to train and an overall improvement to the entire programme."

Victoria sat nearby and watched the Captain begin her lesson, always enjoying this month as she got to see how good some of the new recruits were and how bad the rest certainly were. "This is the last year, Snow." She said, petting her Nightsaber. "The Burning Legion will make sure of it. No more new recruits until the end of the inevitable war."

"Sounds like a fun conversation." Thal'ena said, the Royal Magister sitting down beside her Queen in their yearly routine of reviewing the recruits. "Try to keep it light whilst I'm here though."

Victoria smiled and looked over to the Royal Magister. "Sorry, I'll change subject." She placed a hand on the Royal Magister's knee and saw her look down at the action. "How have you been?"

"I've been good, your Grace." Thal'ena said, placing a hand over her Queen's. "A little bored the last few days, but that's about to change now that we have these recruits to laugh at."

"We're not laughing at them." Victoria said, though she had a huge grin on her face and trying to surpress a laugh. "We're watching the new blood we have... And maybe laughing at them later in the day."

Thal'ena laughed and nudged the Queen with her elbow. "See? We're going to laugh at them." She hooked her arm around Victoria's and watched Alina give them the same presentation she had been doing every year. "How are you feeling? I heard about Khadgar visiting the other day and explain what was happening. Are you ready for your first major war as Queen?"

"No..." Victoria muttered, leaning against the Royal Magister. "I was hoping I would get to have some more experience as Queen during peace time. Now I have to lead my people into a war we have no idea about. They could be sending the entire Legion for us, I don't even know how to fight Demons."

Thal'ena put an arm around her Queen, stroking her back slowly. "It's okay, you have many experienced Officers at your disposal. Just don't make your people think you are incapable of leading and you will do fine."

"Will you be there by my side?" Victoria asked, finding Thal'ena's presence calmed her as she regarded her as her closest friend outside of the General. "I would love to have you with me when we first face off against the demons."

"I can't promise anything, even if you are the Queen, but I will try to be by your side throughout the entire campaign against the Legion when they come." Thal'ena kissed the top of the much younger elf's head when she rest it on her shoulder, forgetting she was so young as she had been Queen for over three years now and doing a good job too, especially for someone who wasn't exactly born into this life. "I think you'll be fine. If the demon horde has infiltrated the major cities by now, they would know Vol'Jin is the Warchief and their biggest target."

"As much as the comforts me, I can't help but now feel bad for the Warchief for having such a big target on his back." Victoria watched Alina yell at one of the recruits who were messing around whilst she was going through today's activities. "I think I will have to have Alina with us too. She might just scare the Demons off the planet."

Thal'ena laughed and nodded her head. "I agree. For such a small woman, she is scary."


	26. Chapter 26

**Costly Attack**

Thirteen months since Khadgar visited Stormwind and all had been quiet on the Burning Legion front. No more signs, no spies found infilitrating the council or any other city. Nothing but silence which put the Queen on edge the longer it went on, waiting for so long for something to happen and getting nothing in return. That was until a messenger arrived on this day, running at the speed of light and pushing their way through the council to almost collapse in the middle of the throne room, exhausted. "Yo-your Grace!" The messenger cried, eyes wide with horror. "They're here!"

"Who are here?" One of the council said, a little annoyed the meeting had been interrupted so rudely.

"Demons... In Westfall! They're attacking Sentinal Hill, your Grace! You have to do something!"

Victoria looked over to Sera who nodded her head without having to be asked, gathering half of the Royal guards and marching her way out the Keep. "With me!" She commanded, pointing at several more the further down she got.

"Don't worry, my General will take care of this." Victoria watched Sera hastily make her way out the Keep, looking back down at the messenger. "Send word to Liadrin as well. I could use her Paladins to face the demons at Sentinal Hill. The Light purges those dark beings, so hopefully she will be a valuable asset."

"And she will provide healing to those who are injured." Cyndia said, standing beside her Queen who agreed with her.

"I'll go ask her now. Thank you, your Grace." The messenger bowed his head and shot out the Keep just as quickly as he did on his way in.

Cydnia leaned closer to her Queen who's mind began to race with a thousand thoughts. "Don't worry, your Grace. Sera and Liadrin are more than enough to take care of the Demons in Westfall."

"I hope so.." Victoria muttered, looking up at her Captain. "I really do hope so."

* * *

Liadrin arrived with her entire army of Paladins that were stationed in Stormwind and around Elwynn, looking over to her two commanders Alonso and Wilfred. "Lead our men." She said, looking back to the handful of priestes with them. "I will take our priests and head into Sentinal Hill to get the civilians out of there and heal the wounded."

Wilfred nodded his head to the Highlord. "Will do."

Alonso saw the Stormwind banner in the distance and recognising some of the soldiers fighting there. "The General has already engaged them." He said, making their entire group ride towards Sera to lend her some aide.

"Glad you could finally make it." The Night Elf said, dodging a cleaving axe from a Felguard, slicing her glaive through its abdomen. "There are a lot more here than I was informed. I have serveral soldiers pinned down by felhounds, packs of them were roaming around but they managed to gather them all. Thing is, now they are the ones who are being gathered by those beasts."

"We'll see what we can do." Wilfred said, patting Alonso on the shoulder and having their entire retinue of Paladins move towards where Sera was pointing, cutting down several felhounds and freeing up some of the soldiers so they could help out their General.

Alonso peeled off from the Felhounds they were killing, taking a group of Paladins towards a Doomguard who was commanding several demons towards the General who in turn was too preoccupied with an army of imps that were attacking from out of nowhere. "Intercept them." Alonso told a group of his soldiers. "The rest of us will deal with their commander."

By the time Wilfred had cleared the Felhounds, he heard a loud bang and looked over to Alonso who was dealing with the Doomguard. "What was that?" He asked, looking up at the sky when it began to light up a bright green and following the trail of three giant rocks falling from the sky and come crashing down nearby. "Infernals..." He muttered, watching as both Sera's group and Alonso's were preoccupied with other things. "Everyone, on me." He said to the Paladins behind him, charging towards the Infernals who were taking shape where they crashed.

Alonso looked back to Wilfred when he heard the crashing of infernals, watching as he stood off against the Infernal, watching them try to cut down one of the three that loomed over the battlefield and having his attention off the Doomguard he was fighting for a bit too long, feeling a sharp pain in his abdomen and looked down at a blade sticking out of his stomach. "Light.. Save... Us." He muttered, collapsing to his knees when the blade was pulled out of him and wiping away the blood the flowed freely from his mouth, watching his world go black almost instantly and falling to the floor, lifeless and unmoving.

Sera looked over to the Doomguard just as they pulled the blade from Alonso's back, cutting down the group of imps in front of her and watching the noble Paladin and loyal friend collapse to the ground. "No..." She said under her breath, looking into his lifeless eyes despite being at a distance. "Your sacrifice won't be in vein, brother." She said, spinning her glaive around so it was pointing in front of her and charging towards the Dreadlord.

Whilst the fighting was going on outside Sentinal Hill, Liadrin was having a fight of her own inside the outpost, trying to round up all the civilians whilst telling them to leave their possession behind was a difficult task, more so than actually fighting. On top of that, she had a tag alone that she didn't know about until they made themselves known after several heated words were thrown at the Paladin. "Listen to the Highlord." The unknown guest said, ignoring the shocked look on the Paladin's face. "She is just trying to save you."

"Tanadia, what are you doing here!?" Liadrin yelled. "You're supposed to be in Stormwind!"

"I am your Princess, Liadrin. And I am here to make sure my people are safe from threats." Tanadia looked over to the civilians who listened to what she had just said and bowed their head to the Princess, ignoring Liadrin who had recoiled back a little at her use of her actual name instead of the nickname she had used her entire life. "Like the Highlord said, you all have to leave here now. Things can be replaced, your lives can't, now come on."

Liadrin watched the many civilians who were listening to their Princess, pack up and leave, only taking the essentials and following the rest of the civilians out of Sentinal Hill. "My Lady..." Liadrin said, hating the use of the title but knowing she didn't need to have Tanadia telling her off again for not addressing her as the Princess that she was.

Tanadia snorted at the title. "You don't need to call me 'My Lady' Li Li..." She said, looking over to her mentor. "I'm sixteen now, I am allowed to leave the city without supervision, though I guess it comes with the title of Princess."

Liadrin walked over to her protogé, placing her hands on her face and sighing at her. "Don't do that to me again, okay? At least let me know you are tagging along next time so I don't get the surprise."

Tanadia smiled and nodded her head. "Okay, Li Li." She said so innocently that it almost made the Paladin forget she was just told off by the Princess moments ago. "I just wanted to help."

"I know you did, little one." Liadrin kissed her on the forehead. "But like I said, just tell me next time. You know I can't say no to you."

Tanadia smiled at her, relieved she wasn't angry but now determined to help more people who need them. "So what do we do now?"

"Now we help the injured, clear out more civilians who refuse to leave and hope that the fight outside these walls finishes before we're done. Otherwise we may have to help them." Liadrin patted her arm. "But don't worry, if it comes to that I will keep you beside me."

* * *

"Have you seen your new sister yet?" Cyndia asked, being left alone in the throne room with the Queen who was distracting herself by cuddling Snow.

"I have not, no." She smiled when she remembered the conversation she had a while ago about Athrodar having another daughter because his family before him only had sons. "I knew I would have a new sister, I even told Sera that I would."

Cyndia smiled and laughed a little, sitting down on the opposite side of Snow and petting him. "What was she called? I don't think you told."

"Cedani." Victoria said with a smile. "Cedani Windrunner, their first to have a name outside of missing or dead family members. And a beautiful one at that too."

Cyndia's smile began to fade when reality set in. "It's a shame she was born into a world that is about to see an all out war..."

Victoria's smile faded just as the sentence was said, letting out a sigh and lowering her ears a little. "I know... But she is in a secluded part of the world, a village surrounded by nothing but trees for miles. Hopefully they won't have to fight."

"I hope so too, your Grace." Cyndia said, going back to focusing her attention on Snow. "Your other siblings are what.. Nine and six now?"

"They are, yes." Victoria laughed lightly. "They grow up so damned fast, they will be fully fledged rangers the next time I see them, I swear."

"You reckon they will all be rangers?"

"Of course. Both our parents are rangers, one is legendary and the other is Athrodar." They both chuckled with Cyndia shaking her head. "But no, I think they will be rangers. They will hear stories of the two of them and want to emulate our parents. I can't blame them."

"You never know... One of them might grow up to be a priest or a mage. Or they might grow up to be a strong warrior, preferring sword and shield over bow and arrow." Cyndia shrugged her shoulders at her Queen. "Athrodar's first born became a priestess, and a really good one at that."

"Only because Thalina's brother was a Paladin." Victoria told her. "That's just a priest with a big weapon."

"Speaking of big weapons." Cyndia said, catching a glimpse of Sera walking down the long corridor with a limp, using the butt of her glaive to stablise her. "She doesn't look too good, your Grace." She said when the General got closer.

Victoria ran to Sera's aid when she stumbled a little and collapsed down to one knee, lifting her head up with her hands so she was looking at her. "What happened?" The Queen asked, watching Sera close her eyes tightly.

"We got the demons, my Lady... But it came with a price." Sera shook her head, gripping onto her hip as it hurt like hell. Luckily she wasn't bleeding, but she did take a big knock or two. "Alonso and Wilfred are dead, my Lady. I'm so sorry."

Victoria watched her General clench her teeth in pain, looking over her body for any cuts or stabs and finding none. "Are you okay? Where does it hurt?"

"My side." Sera watched Victoria begin to examine her side, having her tunic pulled up so she could look at it more clearly. "My Lady. Alonso and Wilfred are dead." She told her for a second time, expecting a much different reaction than this. "They were slain by the demons. Alonso stabbed in the back and Wilfred died protecting civilians whilst they were under attack by felhounds."

"I heard you and I will mourn when I am alone. They were close family friends Sera and I will miss them greatly, but now is not the time to mourn." She looked at her General who's gaze fell from her. "Are my people safe?"

"Liadrin is leading them to Westbrook Garrison where they will stay the night whilst we send out patrols to look for any demons who slipped through our lines. If it's clear, they will return home tomorrow." Sera grimaced in pain when Victoria touched a sensitive spot on her hip. "Right there it hurts." She shook her head and let out a small laugh. "Serves me right for getting knocked on my ass when I wasn't looking."

"Where are they now?" Victoria asked, her voice softer now than it was as she let the news of Alonso and Wilfred sink in. "I want to bury them somewhere nice, where the sun will shine down on them everyday and I can visit."

"I will get somebody to pick out a spot just like that, your Grace." Cyndia said, standing up and making her way out the throne room.

"There were so many of them..." Sera muttered, burying her face in her Queen's shoulder. "Every time we cut two down, two more showed up."

"I have a bad feeling this is only the beginning." Victoria whispered to her, stroking her General's hair.

"Someone has to tell your father." Sera whispered back to her, holding onto her Queen now. "He loved them like brothers. They visited him often when he retired, though it slowed down in recent years."

Victoria bit the inside of her cheek, trying to not let the emotions of it all overwhelm her. "I willgo tell him myself. I sent Liadrin out there with her Paladins... I should be the one to tell my father that they died."

"Do you need someone to be there with you?" Sera asked, trying to stand up but having the shooting pain in her hip and collapsing back down onto one knee.

"Not you." Victoria said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You need to rest, I will get some healers to you once you are in bed." She helped her General up onto her feet, placing a hand on her chest and kissing her lightly. "Just answer me one thing?"

"Sure." The General winced at the pain, but looked into her Queen's eyes when she saw sadness in them.

"Did they suffer?" Victoria asked, referring to Alonso and Wilfred.

"No, my Lady. It was quick, how I'm sure they would have wanted to die in that situation." Sera held onto her hip and used her glaive to keep herself propped up whilst she walked with her Queen to their bedroom. "So you're going on your own?"

"I am." Victoria said, looking at her General. "I only want to bring you, but you're too injured to be of any help... No offence."

Sera shook her head. "It's okay. The only thing I have to do is rest. And lay in bed... Bored."

Victoria chuckled lightly and pushed open the door to the living wing of the Keep, making their way to her chambers. "I'll be a couple days, hopefully you should have healed by then if you allow the priests to do their thing and listen to them."

Sera smiled. "I'll listen to them."

* * *

"I can't put you down." Sylvanas said in a cutesy voice, smiling at Cedani in her arms. "You are too adoreable to be anywhere else but in my arms. Yes you are. My best creation."

Athrodar rolled his eyes and laughed lightly, watching Sylvanas rub her nose against their daughter's. "Sometimes, I think you forget that I helped make our children."

"I don't forget." Sylvanas told him, keeping her gaze on Cedani. "I just don't include your involvement when it comes to our children, because they are my precious gems."

Athrodar continued to laugh, shaking his head and stepping behind his wife, kissing Sylvanas on the cheek and hugging her from behind whilst looking at their daughter. "I love you." He whispered in her ear, pressing his cheek against Sylvanas' shortly after.

"I love you too." Sylvanas whispered.

Knowing he had to ask, Athrodar squeezed Sylvanas' waist a little in his hug. "Are you talking to me or our daughter?"

"Oh definately our daughter." Sylvanas said, looking over her shoulder at her husband. "I guess I love you too."

"Yeah... Thirteen years together has kept our love so strong." Athrodar muttered, kissing Sylvanas on her cheek once more. "If you need me, I'll be with our son. He has been asking me all day to take him fishing with Elaria and I."

Sylvanas chuckled and nodded her head. "Okay, stay safe. And I do love you."

Athrodar smiled. "I know." He said, turning to go get Tahnir but hearing a knock on their door. "I'll get it."

Opening the door, Athrodar looked at Victoria who stood still for a few seconds before breaking down into tears and hugging her father. "Dad..." She said, burying her head into his chest and holding onto him tightly.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Athrodar asked, looking back at Sylvanas who placed Cedani down in her cot and making her way over to their daughter who appeared out of the blue.

"Alonso and Wilfred..." She sniffed, shaking her head and gripping onto the back of his tunic tightly. "Demons attacked Westfall and they died... I'm so sorry."

Athrodar frowned at Victoria, pulling her off him a little so they could look at each other. "Wait, what happened? Go over it again, but slowly."

Victoria walked over to the nearby couch with her parents, Sylvanas pulling her in closely so she was leaning on her whilst telling them what happened, sparing no details on what she was told plus what she knew before hand and everything else inbetween. Once she had finished telling them everything she knew, she looked over to Athrodar who stood up and began to walk away, brushing a hand through his own hair before picking up a nearby picture and throwing it against the wall.

"Athrodar!" Sylvanas yelled when she saw it smash, hearing Cedani begin to cry as the loud noises upset her. "Step outside." She told him, looking over to Illana who ran into the living room they were all in and holding up her hand. "Alonso and Wilfred died." She told her mother-in-law when Athrodar stepped out onto the balcony.

"What do you need me to do?" She asked, looking over to Cedani who was still crying and making her way over to the baby.

"Please." Was all Sylvanas said when she saw Illana pick up her baby, walking out of the room and looking down at Victoria who's ears were bent down in sadness. "I'll talk to him. Your father isn't good at feeling sad, so this was somewhat predictable..." She placed a hand on Victoria's cheek and rubbed her thumb across it. "I'll go calm him down, it shouldn't take long before he comes back in here and will need you with him."

Athrodar sat on the bench on the balcony, clutching onto his head tightly and shedding a few tears at the loss of his friends. "I should have been there..." Athrodar muttered, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. "I could have kept them alive..."

"Or you would have died with them, my love." Sylvanas said, closing the door to the balcony behind her and sitting down beside her mate, taking hold of his hand and kissing the back of it. "The best we can do now is mourn for them." She whispered, kissing his shoulder as she stared at his face. "I'll be here as long as you like." Her voice was soft and sincere. "All day and night if need be."

"You don't have to -"

"I do." Sylvanas interupted him, placing a hand on his far side cheek and turning his head to face her. "You know I don't like you hurting and right now you are in pain." She placed a soft kiss on his lips and tilting his head down so she could press her forehead against his. "So take as long as you need, I am staying here with you no matter how long it takes."

Athrodar was pulled into Sylvanas' chest when he began to let it all out, feeling her stroke his hair, back and just hold onto his whilst she rocked back and forth. "It's okay..." She whispered, kissing Athrodar on the top of his head and humming a song to him. "Victoria wants to bury them somewhere nice, where the sun will always shine on them." She told the great love of her life. "Somewhere we can visit whenever you want."

"I just wish I could have spent more time with them." Athrodar muttered, keeping his eyes closed whilst Sylvanas continued to rock back and forth.

"I know, baby." Sylvanas felt sad too, she had always liked Alonso and Wilfred for how loyal they were to Athrodar and herself, managing to keep her emotions bottled in for as long as possible until a couple tears rolled down her cheeks. "I will tell Tahnir that you can't take him fishing today." She said softly, trying to keep her voice calm even if her eyes were telling a different story. "I'm sure he will understand if Victoria tells him why."

Leaving the balcony, Sylvanas opened the door and smiled a little at Victoria who was standing nearby, wiping her eyes and nodding towards Athrodar so the young Queen could be alone with im. "Go to him." Sylvanas said holding the door open for Victoria who quickly made her way to Athrodar, hugging him tightly and being hugged in return by her father.

"I'm sorry, dad." Victoria whispered.

Athrodar shook his head. "No, don't be. You were protecting the people of Sentinal Hill, I don't blame you." He held onto his daughter tightly who went back to crying into his chest. "I don't blame you." He repeated, having his daughter in his arms was all he needed to calm him as his family was practically complete, minus the young priestess who visited only recently.


	27. Chapter 27

**A Calm Before The Storm**

Victoria spent close to a week in Windrunner Village as she didn't have the mental strength to go back to being a Queen just yet, so soon after losing close family friends. Instead she spent most of her time with her sister Alleria who loved Snow more than anyone she had ever met, keeping both the young elf and Nightsaber company as they seemed to bond very quickly.

On the final day she was spending time with her family before returning to her city, she saw her mother getting ready for what looked like an important night out with her father, smiling at the back of Sylvanas' head as she was deciding what she was going to wear twenty minutes before they were meant to leave. "You know, some would say you had all day to sort this out."

Sylvanas looked in the nearby mirror to look at her daughter who was smiling at her, rolling her eyes at the Queen. "Aren't you supposed to be looking after you brother and two sisters whilst your father and I spend a rare night alone in Silvermoon?"

"Wow, a rare night?" Victoria walked towards her mother, picking the outfit for her and handing her black leggings, a black mageweave cloth low cut shirt as well as matching fingerless gloves and a pair of leather boots. "What's the special occasion? Or is it just so you two can be alone?"

"It's so we can be alone." Sylvanas told her, spinning her finger around in a circle so her daughter would turn around whilst she got dressed. "As much as I love your brother and two sisters, the week we spent in Winterspring reminded me how much I had missed being with your father with no distractions." She placed the low cut shirt over her body and reached for the leggings placed beside her soon after. "He doesn't know where we are going, but there's this new place opening up in the Court of the Sun. Apparently it's so exclusive that it's already booked for the next two years despite being open for three weeks."

"Sounds amazing. So I have to ask, how did you both get a table?"

Sylvanas smiled, pulling up her leggings and telling Victoria she didn't have to keep looking at the door. "To put it simply: I'm Sylvanas Windrunner."

Victoria laughed and nodded her head approvingly. "Sounds about right."

"Also the owner is a loyal Sunblade follower, despite their less than ideal past. So because Athrodar and I are married, we can both get into any place we like in Silvermoon because I was the Ranger-General and belong to the Windrunner family and he is the last heir to the Sunblade name, despite dropping it for mine." Sylvanas reached for her makeup, picking up the dark crimson lipstick, black eyeshadow and eyeliner. "It's odd, but so many people still follow the Sunblade family, despite everything that has happened."

"How long do you think you will be?" Victoria asked, watching Sylvanas give her a look that she interpreted as many things at once.

"I don't think we will be coming home tonight." Sylvanas told her, placing a hand on her cheek and rubbing he thumb across it. "In fact, I don't plan to come home at all tonight." She told her, winking at Victoria who groaned in response.

"I hope you both enjoy your night alone." Victoria said once Sylvanas was ready, recieving a kiss on the cheek and catching the lipstick stain on said cheek shortly after when she looked into the mirror. "Thanks..." She muttered, almost hearing Sylvanas chuckle as she left Windrunner Manor with Athrodar.

Returning to the living room, she saw Alleria curled up with Snow as they both slept on the rug in the middle of the room, looking over to Tahnir who was slowly drifting off too. "This is going to be easier than I thought." She mused, reaching for a nearby blanket and throwing it over her sister and Nightsaber to keep them warm, though it was mostly for Alleria.

Sitting down next to Tahnir, she smiled when he leaned on her and closed his eyes. "Tired, are we?" She asked, feeling him nod his head. "Well, then I suppose you best sleep." She told him looking around for something to cover him with and thanking the Titans that Athrodar left his cloak out. "Here, to keep you warm." She said after stretching for the cloak and grabbing it with her fingertips.

* * *

"I feel like I'm underdressed." Sylvanas whispered, looking around the restaurant and noticing every woman was wearing a dress.

"Honestly? I think you are fine." Athrodar said, taking hold of her hand and kissing the back of it. "You chose to wear something you're comfortable in whilst somehow manaing to not only show off your cleavage, but also being the most beautiful woman in here by a mile."

Sylvanas grinned at Athrodar who kissed the back of her hand again. "Easy tiger, I'm already yours." She told him, hearing him chuckle and lookg around the restaurant again, smiling to herself at how packed it was yet somehow still having the best table in the house. "I have to say, if we get to go places like this because of who we are, then marrying you was the best thing to happen to me."

Athrodar stared at his wife who was too busy looking around and admiring the entire room to have noticed his blank expression. "Sometimes I wonder if you truly love me or if you're using me to get the things you want."

Sylvanas looked back to Athrodar and his blank expression, grinning and him and tapping the top of his hand. "Definately using you to get the things I want, sweetie." She told him, watching him begin to smile and knowing he understood she was joking. "Of course I truly love you. It's been a little difficult for the both of us to express said love from time to time, but it's nights like these that I look forward to."

"Me too." Athrodar said, taking hold of her hand again and rubbing his thumb across her knuckles. "Do you think Victoria will be okay baby sitting her siblings?"

"Of course." Sylvanas told him, watching the waiter come towards them from the corner of her eye. "She runs a city, how hard can it be to look after three children who were practically asleep when we left?"

"Well... With my mother spending time with the Dawnstrider family for a couple weeks and Cedani being nothing like her older sister, she will be alone when the baby eventually wakes up crying." Athrodar began to chuckle when Sylvanas tried to hold in her laughter. "She is going to hate us by the time we return."

"We probably should have warned her about her sister beforehand." Sylvanas told him, looking up at the waiter who stood beside their table.

"Ready to order?" He asked, looking back and forth between Sylvanas and Athrodar.

* * *

Victoria was sleeping next to her brother on the couch they were both laying on, being startled by the sound of Cedani crying in the next room and trying to get up without waking up her brother, a task easier said than done as he was curled up in her arms. "Exactly like our mother..." She whispered to herself, referring to how they both needed to be held by a loved one to get a good nights sleep.

Carefully extracting herself from her brother, who was sleeping on her arm, she quickly made her way over to Cedani who was crying in her cot and picking her up, instantly smelling what the problem was. "Wow... that pungent." She muttered, rocking her sister in her arms and making her way to the nearby changing table. "Right... Now how did they do this?" She asked herself, a little confused on what to do next.

Whilst Victoria was trying to figure it out, Cedani had stopped crying and was staring up at her sister who had remained calm, but was screaming on the inside. "Don't judge me, I've never done this before." Victoria said to Cedani who continued to stare at her.

"You know she can't talk, right?" Elaria asked, standing by the door.

"Oh thank the Titans..." Victoria breathed, looking over to Elaria. "Can you help me?"

Elaria snorted at her request. "I don't know how to look after children. Luna might, let me go get her."

"No, wait!" But before she could stop her, Elaria was already out the door and off to get the Draenei. Victoria sighed and looked back at her sister. "Don't you pee on me." Just as she said it, the Queen frowned. "That might be the boys who pee on people..."

Victoria spent close to five minutes struggling to figure out how to put on her sister's diaper before Luna came in to save the day, laughing lightly at the mess Victoria had made of it already. "How you have done this, I will never know." The Draenei said with a smile on her face, taking care of Cedani for the young Queen. "It's okay, little one." She whispered to the baby in her arms. "Aunty Luna is here to take care of you now."

Elaria watched Luna walk away with Cedani and taking her to the living room where the rest of her family were sleeping. "Your parents still out?"

Victoria nodded her head. "They are. Probably for the rest of the night too."

Elaria looked over to Luna who had a smiled permentantly attatched to her face, looking down at Cedani who yawned in her arms. "I think your sister has convinced us to stay here for the night, or until your parents return."

Victoria placed her hands on Elaria's arm. "Thank you..." She muttered, pressing her head against the same arm she was holding. "I can't do this alone. My sister, albeit adoreable, is difficult to get to sleep."

Elaria chuckled and placed a hand on her head. "Luckily for you, Luna loves your brother and sisters. So this is nothing."

* * *

"There is no way you have been planning this for the last few days." Athrodar said, hugging Sylvanas from behind as they stood at the front of the ship they had booked for themselves.

"Maybe it has been a month in the making." Sylvanas told him, leaning back against her husband. "I had to pull a few strings for this, especially because I wanted it to be at night." She felt him kiss her neck, tilting her head a little and exposing more of it for him to worship. "This gives us so much privacy, minus the ship's Captain." She span on her heel to face Athrodar, gazing into the green glow of his eyes as he looked into the blue glow of hers in return. "These last five years have been so special to me..." She began, looking away as she tried to keep herself calm and looking at Athrodar only made her more emotional.

"You know what? You don't have to say anything." Athrodar smiled at Sylvanas when she looked back at him. "Just enjoy each other's company, look out into the ocean, up at the stars or into each other's eyes. There doesn't need to be any speaking."

Sylvanas smiled and closed her eyes the second she pressed her ear to Athrodar's chest. "Then we won't speak." She whispered, hugging him tightly.

They both remained silent for longer than Athrodar was expecting, knowing Sylvanas couldn't keep quiet for long when it came to talking about her feelings towards him, a far cry from the first few months they were together when she could speak abouy anything but her feelings. Of course he knew she was going to speak anytime soon as she had something on her mind that she clearly wanted to say. "Okay, you can say what you wanted to say." Athrodar told her, grinning when she span around to face him.

"These last five years, away from everything, have been so special to me." Sylvanas repeated, adding a little more than last time as she went over what she wanted to say time and time again in her head whilst they remained silent. "The me before the Third War could only dream of having this life. She would be so proud of everything we have done and could never have imagined she would have four children that she loves more than anything and a husband..." Sylvanas shook her head, trying to fight back the tears and looking up at him with eyes that were sparkling in the night as the tears were on the brink of escaping. "A husband who has changed her life so much that she never wants to go back to how things were." She took hold of his hands and looked deeply into his eyes, letting her tears roll down her cheek as her heart ached with love. "A husband who has done everything to make her the happiest she has ever been."

Athrodar placed his hands on either side of Sylvanas' face, leaning down and kissing her lightly. "I have said this numerous amounts of times, but I know you love hearing it every time. You have changed my life far more than I could ever have imagined. I was lost after Arthas was slain, I came to you for the feeling of home I needed and you delivered tenfold." He began to chuckle lightly and press his head against hers. "Yes, that may have been partly due to you strapping me to your bed whenever possible, but I knew after a year of being in Undercity with you, that I didn't want to spend my life anywhere else but by your side."

"When you fell in love with Victoria, I was worried you were going to make her your next conquest and throw me aside, but after you forced me to get to know her." His smile widened when Sylvanas rolled her eyes. "Yes you did, don't deny it." He brought her in for a hug, having her ear pressed up against his heart because she loved the sound it made. "I fell in love with her, then everything else just snowballed into what we have now. She was what we were fighting for."

"Yes she was." Sylvanas agreed, holding onto her husband whilst the ship sailed towards the Isle of Quel'Danas for their final trip of the night. "Now we have four beautiful children who we are fighting to protect." She told him, tugging on his shirt to drag him down to her lips, gently kissing him and going back to pressing her ear against his chest shortly after. "Everything is how it should be."

"That it is, my love." Athrodar whispered in her ear, stroking her hair lightly and feeling their hearts beat as one. "The rest of our lives together, away from danger and in each others arms."

* * *

Victoria woke up the next day to the sound of three knocks on her bedroom door, stretching her arms above her head and yawning as her first thing for the day. "Come in." She told them, looking down at herself just as the door was opening and letting out a sigh of relief to find out she slept in yesterday's clothes.

Thal'ena looked down at her Queen who was rubbing her eyes. "Coming back today, your Grace?" She asked, smirking when Victoria began to climb out of bed and noticed she wore nothing from the waist down. "Did you also only get out of half your clothes yesterday?"

Victoria reached for the bed sheets and wrapped it around her waist to cover herself up. "For the first time, I am thankful you saw me half naked. If it was my brother or sister who woke me up... I don't even want to begin explaining."

Thal'ena picked up some nearby leggings and threw them at her Queen who seemed to look lost. "Here." The Royal Magister said, turning around when Victoria gave her a pair of pleading eyes the moment she caught the leggings. "Fine... Just so you know, it's nothing I haven't seen before. For a Queen in a relationship with her General, you are very open about who you spend time with when she isn't around." She began to smile at herself in the mirror. "Sometimes I like it when your very open... Gives me a lot of joy hearing you scream my name."

"Hey!" Victoria snapped at her Royal Magister who began to chuckle. "None of that talk in this house. My brother and sister don't need to hear what I get up to on my free time... Especially when they know I'm with Sera." She looked Thal'ena up and down whilst her back was still turned to her. "Why are you here anyway? Did you burn the city down in my absence?"

"What? No, of course not." Thal'ena turned back around, looking at her Queen reach for her cloak. "The council are... For the want of a better word, agitated. A demon attack so close to Stormwind and then their Queen going home shortly after for a week hasn't exactly sent good vibes throughout the higher ups."

"I lost two loyal friends, Thal'ena. My father lost two of his best friends... I had to tell my family and keep Athrodar company." As she threw the cloak around her, Victoria rolled her eyes when the Royal Magister took over when it came to putting it on her Queen. "I can do this on my own, you know."

"I know, but since you're mourning your two close family friends with your father, who doesn't look to be here right now, or your mother for that matter, I have to look after the clearly emotionally broken Queen I serve with all my heart and energy." Thal'ena smirked at her Queen who sighed and rolled her eyes again. "Or are you telling me you have recovered and are returning back to Stormwind today?"

"You know I'm returning back to Stormwind today." Victoria told her, stepping around the Royal Magister once her cloak was attatched to her person. "Why isn't Sera here?"

"She is still recovering, your Grace. And she is working on getting everyone back to Sentinal Hill and the surrounding farms with very little chaos." Thal'ena shrugged her shoulders and smiled at her Queen. "That means you have me for the day."

"I suppose that's better than nothing." Victoria muttered, grinning to herself when she heard the Royal Magister gasp. "I'm kidding. You know I love having you around."

Thal'ena cast mirror image and made all of her clones, as well as herself, hug the Queen tightly as a group. "Do you love all of me?"

Victoria giggled and nodded her head. "Yes, I love all of you." She said, having all the images fade away when Thal'ena called them all back to her. "Go spend time with my siblings, I need to gather a few more things before I wait for my parents to return home."

"Then we return home to Stormwind?" Thal'ena asked.

"Yes." Victoria answered, picking up some of her clothes and placing them on her bed. "We need to prepare for the Burning Legion."

Thal'ena stood by the door, keeping her hand on the handle but not opening the door. "Do your parents know about the looming threat?"

"Yes and no." Victoria told her, looking over to the Royal Magister who was frowning at her. "They know that we were attacked by demons last week, but don't know that we are on the brink of an invasion."

"Are you going to tell them?" Thal'ena now asked, a little concerned at her families safety.

"There have been no signs that an invasion is happening in Quel'Thalas, or Northern Lordaeron for that matter. My family are safe up here, just like they want it to be." Victoria pulled her hood up and looked over to the Royal Magister who remained unconvinced. "They will be fine. My parents can handle themselves, Elaria and Luna too. And with some of their rangers retiring with them as well as frequent patrols from nearby Farstriders, they will be fine if an attack does happen here."

"I don't know... Could we leave a handful of guards here? They did bring me back to life, I would feel comfortable with knowing they are safe." Thal'ena watched her Queen continue to pack her clothes. "Please." She added on the end of her sentence, making Victoria stop moving.

"Okay... I will. I'm telling you they are safe here already, but I will leave a small guard here to watch over things." Victoria closed the backpack full of clothes and looked over to her Royal Magister. "I will tell them why, once they return."

"Thank you, your Grace. I know you will feel better about it as well."

"I know." Victoria agreed, smiling at her Royal Magister. "I suppose it's a vacation for the soldiers when I put them here."

Thal'ena followed her Queen to where the rest of her family was, sitting down beside Elaria who was sleeping on one of the couches. "Does she still sleep for most of the day?" The Royal Magister asked, looking over to Luna who nodded her head. "Some things never change."

Whilst Thal'ena was trying to keep some distance between herself and Elaria, Victoria sat beside her sister Alleria who curled up beside her big sister. "Mom and Dad will be here soon." Victoria told her, kissing the top of Alleria's head. "Then I will say goodbye to them and then I will have to leave." She saw her sister look up to her with pleading eyes. "I will visit more often, I promise. I will bring Snow too, okay?"

Tahnir sat on the other side of Victoria, being pulled into a hug by her that she was currently sharing with Alleria. "Can I visit Stormwind soon?" He asked, hearing Victoria chuckle.

"Of course you can. You just have to ask mom and dad first. I can't take you with me without them knowing or they'll yell at me." Victoria looked over to Thal'ena who smirked at her. "I don't like it when they yell at me..." She muttered, hearing Thal'ena now laugh at her.

Close to two hours passed by before Athrodar and Sylvanas returned home with Sylvanas being hugged by Tahnir the second she walked through the door, falling to her knees to hold onto him. "Someone has missed me." She said, smiling brightly at how tight her son was hugging her.

"I hope they weren't too much trouble?" Athrodar asked, hugging Victoria.

"They were fine, dad." Victoria told him, melting into the hug. "I have to leave soon." She glanced over to Thal'ena who stood nearby. "I am leaving a small group of soldiers here for a few weeks, okay?"

"Okay." Athrodar pulled back from the hug a little and looked down at his daughter. "Do I want to know why?"

"I'd prefer it if you didn't..." Victoria muttered, hearing Thal'ena clear her throat and groaning. "Fine... For the past year has been building up to an invasion from the Burning Legion. I am placing a guard here to protect you and our family just in case this place is attacked. It's very unlikely since there has been no evidence to suggest they will attack Quel'Thalas again, but after listening to Thal'ena I have decided to place a small group here."

There was a long pause before anyone spoke, leaving Victoria a little worried that she has done something wrong by keeping the news of the Burning Legion away from her parents. That was until Athrodar smiled and hugged her again. "Okay." He whispered, kissing her on the cheek and practically stunning the Queen with how calm he seemed. "I'll tell your mother, Titans knows she will react poorly to you keeping secrets."

"But not you?" Victoria asked.

"I understand keeping secrets if it means protecting your family." Athrodar raised an eyebrow at Victoria, giving her a cocky grin at the same time. "Or did you forget about Pandaria already?"

"No... But that didn't turn out so well for you now, did it?"

Athrodar laughed and shook his head. "No, I suppose you're right."

Victoria pulled back and looked up at her father. "Stay safe, okay? And don't worry about me, I will handle this invasion the only way I know how. Protecting my people and keeping it away from my family."

Athrodar picked up Alleria when she ran to him, resting her on his hip whilst they both looked at Victoria. "Just don't get yourself killed, okay? You know Sylvanas will want you back in one piece."

"I know, dad." Victoria looked over to her mother who was now holding onto Cedani in her arms. "Let me say goodbye to her before you bring it up. I don't want to be here if and when she blows her top."

Athrodar chuckled and nodded his head agreeingly. "Smart move."


	28. Chapter 28

**The Broken Shore**

"Are the guns ready?"

Sky Admiral Rogers bowed her head to Victoria who was making sure every boat, gunship and soldier was ready for the invasion that could happen at any moment, being told that it could happen sometime this week. "They are, your Grace. We will blast those demon bastards out the sky."

"And my gunship?" Victoria now asked as they were all onboard the Sky Admiral's gunship.

"It's ready to sail, gun down and punch a hole into their lines, your Grace." The Sky Admiral had a dark smile on her face. "We will rain hell down on those demons, your Grace. They won't stand a chance."

"I hope so." Victoria said, shaking hands with the Sky Admiral before leaving the gunship. "Everything looks to be in order." She told Sera who nodded her head in agreement. "Are you ready for this?"

"I am, my Lady." Sera smiled down at Victoria. "I will stay by your side throughout this upcoming war, we will get through this together."

Making their way back to Stormwind Keep, they were joined by Tanadia who saw the pair of them together. "Your back!" She cried, hugging her older sister. "How was Windrunner Village? Getting to have a week off must have been nice."

"It was." Victoria agreed, stroking her sister's hair. "I haven't spoken to you about going to Westfall though." She saw Tanadia look away, smirking at her. "You thought I forgot, didn't you?"

"I was hoping... Yes." Tanadia muttered.

"Talk to me next time you want to go on a mission." Victoria grinned at her sister who looked up at her, expecting to be yelled at. "You are my Princess, yes. But you are also my sister. I want to know you are safe, so please come to me if you want to go into danger."

"Like when you are all going to fight the Burning Legion soon?" Tanadia asked, looking over to Sera who had a small smile on her face. "I want to join you. I'm tired of being stuck in this city when I could be helping out there."

Victoria looked over to Sera who shrugged at her, trying to keep out of this and making her Queen sigh. "I suppose I could have you with me. As a healer for me and my guard whilst we fight the Burning Legion." She saw Tanadia was about to hug her, placing a hand on her shoulder to stop her from doing so. "But you have to follow me, okay? Don't go running off to do your own thing."

Tanadia shook her head. "No, I won't. I promise." The second Victoria's hand left her shoulder, she jumped at her sister and hugged her tightly. "Thank you for taking me with you!"

"Okay, hold on." Victoria said, trying to extract her sister from her body and failing to pull her from the hug. "Wow you're strong... Look, I need to still talk to Thalina before I can let you come with me. She is still your mother."

Tanadia frowned at her sister. "You know she isn't going to let me go, right? My mother will keep me locked down in this city for all time. She yelled at me for going to Westfall without telling anyone."

Victoria watched the golden eyes of her sister begin to drop, placing a hand on her face and tilting it up a little so she could see her. "I will talk to her, okay? I will continue to talk to her until she is convinced you will be safe in my hands." Victoria smiled at her. "Okay? I won't leave until she is cool with it."

Tanadia nodded her head in agreement. "Okay."

Before Victoria could leave to talk to Thalina however, she was intercepted by Cyndia who had a grave look on her face. "What is it?" Victoria asked when the ranger was catching her breath. "Cyndia?"

The Captain looked at her Queen and knew she could read her face by just looking at her, but had to tell her anyway just in case. "They're here, your Grace... The Burning Legion are on the Broken Shore, trying to get into Sargeras' Tomb."

"How do you know this?" Sera asked the Captain.

"A messenger from Ironforge and another from Silvermoon. Undercity too, they are all readying their ships to sail there this very second, your Grace. They all have gotten word from Khadgar who has been surveying the area on a daily basis." Cyndia saw Victoria's face go blank as she began to lose herself to the many thoughts racing through her mind. Was she ready for this? Were her people ready for this?

"Gather everyone and tell them to return to Stormwind." Victoria said, looking at Cyndia who nodded her head at her. "And be quick. We need to set sail immediately if we are to interrupt them."

Sera began to set off with Cyndia, being held back by her Queen. "My Lady, if we are to gather everyone in time, I need to go too."

"No, stay with me. We are going to my gunship and getting ready. We have to lead the assault from our end and I want to be prepared." Victoria held onto her General's wrist, looking up at her. "We need to go now, Sera."

The Night Elf closed her eyes and nodded her head. "Okay."

* * *

Setting sail towards the Broken Shore, Victoria's fleet met up with the Forsaken and Sin'dorei fleets sailing the same way with the Dwarves arriving in Stormwind just before they left. She had kept her sister with her as they made their way to the Broken Shore, making sure the Priestess knows of her role and mostly to keep her safe. "Stay close and you'll be fine." Victoria told her, standing beside her sister as they both watched the dark clouds in the distance begin to roll in towards them. "Just remember what I said, don't go off by yourself and you should be fine."

"I know, Vic." Tanadia said, holding onto the white staff her sister had given her when she was younger. "I will make sure you are safe too."

"Is that so?" Victoria asked, raising an eyebrow at her sister.

"I will! I read that demons are weak to holy magic so I can help with fighting as well as healing." Tanadia's smile made Victoria smile, both of them looking over to the dark clouds moving in. "I am scared though."

Victoria placed a hand on her sister's arm. "So am I. But we need to faec them so we can keep our family safe." She looked back to Sera who was standing nearby, talking to the Royal Guard. "A good foothold here will change everything in this war before it's even started."

"Do we even know how many we are going to face?" Tanadia asked, stepping closer to the front of the gunship and looking down at the fleet of ships below them. "And do we have enough?"

"I hope we do." Victoria told her, noticing a low cloud in front of them that they were approaching quickly. "This is it..." She muttered, nodding towards the cloud. "This is their smokescreen before we see their full forces."

Tanadia stook closer to her sister, so much so they were almost standing on each other's feet. "I won't run, Vic. I will stand and fight with you."

Before Victoria could respond, the sky suddenly lit up with green fire, partnered with meteors that rained down and crashed into the fleet below. "Infernals!" Sera cried, running to her Queen a second too late as one crashed down inbetween the two of them, partnered with the sound of bats flying through the air and plummeting into the gunship, carrying away a few unlucky soldiers. "To the Queen!" She yelled, watching the infernal take form between her and the two royals behind it.

Growing to its full size, the infernal roared down at Sera and the Royal Guards around her, being interrupted from its first attack by Tanadia who blasted it with holy magic. "Uh oh.." She muttered when it turned around and roared at them, raising both its boulder like fists at the Queen and Princess and bringing them crashing down towards them, being stopped by the holy shell around them that Tanadia raised last second. "It's not going to hold!" She strained, watching as the shell shrank significantly when struck a second time. "When it hits us again, it's going to break!" She told her sister who was ready for the strike.

As the fists slammed down again, the barrier shattered like glass and Victoria pulled her sister away and towards the middle of the gunship, reaching for one of her swords and slicing a bat that came flying down towards them. "Get to Sera!" She yelled at her sister who followed her orders instantly.

The Infernal was being shot by arrows the second Tanadia and Victoria got to safety, blocking most of them with its arm and letting out a deafening roar at the group of Royal Guards standing nearby. "Tanadia." Sera said, standing beside the Princess. "I need you to hit him with a holy spell just as he is about to attack, got it?"

The Priestess nodded. "I.. I think so."

"Good." Sera held her glaive at the ready. "Everyone! When the spell hits, we must attack!"

Victoria reached for her bow, picking up an arrow from the quiver she had left beside it and nocking it in place, drawing the projectile back and aiming at the infernal. "Come on, you demon bastard."

The infernal raised its boulder-like fists and was stopped from its attack when Tanadia shocked it with a holy spell, having Sera and her guards charge towards the infernal and being hit by a volley of arrows from the rangers who followed their Queen's actions. Recoiling back from the volley, holy spell and attacks from the Royal Guards, the infernal continued to back away and stopped at the front of the gunship, forcing it off balance as it began to tip forward. To make matters worse, another meteor came crashing down and destroyed the engine it collided with, cutting off power to the rest of the engines.

"My Lady! Get inside the cabin!" Sera cried as they began to plummet towards the land below them, pushing Tanadia towards the cabin too. "I'll be there as soon as everyone is safe!"

Victoria stood at the door to the cabin, watching as Sera lost her footing and began to slide towards the front of the gunship that was taking a severe nosedive towards the Broken Shore. "Sera!" She yelled, watching her hold onto one of the mounted cannons on the side of the gunship. "Hold on!"

Tanadia watched the land below them get closer by the second, making her way to Victoria and pulling her into the cabin before closing the door behind her. "Vic, I'm scared." She told her sister when she hugged her.

Victoria held onto her sister tightly as the thought of having her sister scared in their final moments was something she couldn't have. "We'll be fine, Tana... We'll be fine." She told her, stroking her hair and looking over to Snow who was still in his cage, curled up in the corner of the cabin, a look of fear in his eyes. "We'll be fi-"

Her sentence was cut off the moment the gunship crashed down into the Broken Shore in front of the entire Azeroth fleet behind them. "No..." Cyndia muttered from the flagship of the Stormwind Fleet, watching as fires began to spread around the gunship. "We are going to make them pay!" The Captain yelled from the helm of the flagship, making all the soldiers who were aboard her ship look over to her. "The Burning Legion will regret coming here."

* * *

Sylvanas looked out towards the ocean from the balcony she was standing on, waiting there for several hours already after she saw the Sin'dorei fleet leave Quel'Thalas and hoping she would get an update on how the assault went sometime today. "I'm worried, Athrodar." She told the elf standing behind her. "What if they're running into an ambush?"

"They have the leaders of every race behind them." Athrodar told his wife, kissing her on the cheek as he wrapped his arms around her. "Victoria will be fine, Sera will protect her with her life." He saw on Sylvanas' face that she wasn't convinced by his words, kissing her on the cheek again to try and wipe away the concern on her face but failed as he saw it was still there. "She will be fine." He told her again.

"You don't know that!" Sylvanas snapped, spinning around to look at Athrodar. "She might die. They all might die. I mean, this is the Burning Legion for godsake. They were made to destroy worlds." She stepped forward and hugged Athrodar, pressing her ear to his chest. "We should have been there with her, to keep her safe."

Athrodar placed his hand behind Sylvanas' head to keep her held against him, rubbing her back with his free hand. "We stepped back from fighting, remember? She can handle herself too, you made me train her for all those years."

Sylvanas smiled against his chest, holding onto him tighter. "Just let me feel weak, okay? I want my baby to be safe and she is sailing towards death, just hold me tight and tell me she will be okay."

Athrodar smiled and kissed the top of her head. "I did and you yelled at me."

"I didn't yell." Sylvanas told him. "I was just telling you that you don't know that she is fine."

Athrodar continued to smile and shook his head. "In an angry tone." He added, laughing when she slapped his chest. "I love you, my Queen."

My Queen... Two words Sylvanas still loved to hear from him despite no longer being one. She thought it was out of habit at first when he continued to call her that, but after five or so years of it, she realised it's because he still worshipped her like one. Something she never took advantage of, but loved every second of it. "I love you too, husband of mine." Her grip loosened as she moved her hands to his face, pulling his head down for a long kiss. "The greatest thing to have ever happened to me." She added before kissing him again.

Whilst her son and his wife were on the balcony, Illana was looking after her grandchildren for them and was just putting Cedani down for her midday nap when a knock on the door was sound. "I'll get that." She said to the youngest member of her family, leaning down to kiss her on the nose and making her way to the door as the knock was sound again. "I'm coming, hold on."

Opening the door, Illana looked down at the crimson haired mage standing in front of her. "Illana." She said when she looked up at the family matriarch.

"Thalina?" Illana responded, a little confused as to why she was here, a place she avoided and for good reason. "What are you doing here?"

"I..." Thalina closed her eyes tightly, shaking her head and stepping towards Illana who was stunned the moment the crimson haired Magister hugged her. "I have to speak to Athrodar..."

"Thal, what has happened?" Illana asked, following the Magister towards the balcony and placing a hand on her shoulder to stop her. "Talk to me."

"Tanadia is gone. She went with Victoria to the Broken Shore and..." Thalina closed her eyes and shook her head, holding onto her ears tightly to stop them from drooping and giving away her emotions.

"What's going on?" Athrodar asked, entering Windrunner Manor with Sylvanas in his arms, both of them looking over to the Magister who was retreating within herself. "Thal?"

"They're dead..." She muttered, looking down at the floor and letting her tears do the talking. "Victoria, Sera, Snow..." She looked up at Athrodar and shook her head. "Tanadia... They're all dead."

"What?" Sylvanas stepped forward and out of Athrodar's arms, crouching down in front of the Magister who had broken down into tears. "Thal, what did you say?" She asked, her voice low to try and keep calm. "Thal... Please."

"Their gunship crashed before the assault started..." Thalina told them, hugging herself as she felt sick at telling them the story. "It was overrun by demons before everyone could even get to them."

"No..." Sylvanas looked up to Athrodar who was stunned into silence. "No!" She screamed. "I don't believe you! She couldn't... She wouldn't just die like that! They're fighters, I don't believe..." She stood up and began to make her way to her bedroom, having Athrodar take hold of her arm and spinning around to push him off, slapping him across the face when he didn't let go and making her way to her bedroom.

Athrodar held up his hand when he saw his mother was about to ask him if he was okay. "She is upset, she didn't mean to hit me." He began to make his way to their bedroom, looking back at Thalina who was now in Illana's arms. "Thank you for telling us before anyone else did, Thal." He said before knocking on the door to his bedroom. "I'm coming in." He said when all he heard was crying and a lot of screaming into a pillow.

When Athrodar sat down on the bed beside his wife, Sylvanas threw herself at him and buried her head in his chest, screaming into it instead of the pillow. "She's dead... I knew I should have gone with her!"

Athrodar stroked her back, listening to his wife scream and cry against his chest and shushing her whilst scheming a plan in his head. "Are we so sure she is dead?" He asked when she began to calm down after several minutes of screaming. "They couldn't get to her to see if she was dead, maybe they all got out in time."

Sylvanas sniffed, pulled back and looked at him with bloodshot eyes. "What are you saying?" She asked with a voice that struggled to stay true as her throat became sore.

"She might still be out there with her sister, General and Snow. Maybe her guard too." Athrodar watched Sylvanas begin to calculate something in her head followed by watching her climb out of bed and make her way towards the wardrobe. "What are you doing?" He asked when she picked out a cloak.

"Getting ready to leave. And you're not stopping me."

Athrodar shook his head and made his way over to her. "I wasn't going to you." He kissed her on the shoulder, picking out his cloak from their wardrobe in front of them. "I'm coming with you."

"Yes you are." Sylvanas agreed, looking over her shoulder at him and placing a hand on his face, specifically over the mark her hand made when it connected to his cheek. "I'm sorry for hitting you."

Athrodar shook his head once more. "Don't apologise. You're upset and I stood in the way."

Sylvanas smiled a little and kissed him lightly. "Go get Elaria and Luna. Our Kaldorei friend will want to find her sister and having Luna with us might not be a bad idea since we're facing demons."

Athrodar bowed his head to her. "I will go get them."

"Where are you going?" Thalina asked when she saw Athrodar begin to leave.

"I'm getting Elaria and Luna. We're going to go find them on the Broken Shore and bring them back, alive." Athrodar put his hand on the doorknob and was stopped when Thalina placed her hands on his arm.

"I'm coming with you."

"Thal, no..."

"She is our daughter!" She yelled at him, her eyes pleading at him to let her go. "I want to get my baby back."

Athrodar sighed and nodded his head slowly. "Okay. Then you're the one who is going to break the news to Elaria."

Thalina gulped and nodded her head. "I... I'll try."

* * *

Victoria stirred out of unconciousness to the sound of clashing steel and roaring fires, blinking hard and look up at Tanadia who had a cut on her forehead, allowing blood to flow down her face. "Vic, get up!" The priestess yelled, looking back at Sera who was fighting off a doomguard. "Vic, you need to get up now!"

Sera cut down the Doomguard in front of her, looking down at her Queen who was still laying in the rubble they managed to pull off her, reaching down to Victoria and pulling her up onto her feet and helping her onto Snow who they broke out of his cage. "My Lady, you need to get out of here. I will be right behind you."

Victoria was looking around the destroyed cabin, locking eyes with a bat that was crawling through the roof that used to be there. "Come on boy." Tanadia said, patting Snow's belly whilst sitting behind her sister, holding her up. "We need to get out of here."

Sera watched Snow run out of the cabin, being chased down by felhounds down a long path that led to the water. "I'll be right behind you..." She muttered, watching two giant demons stand in front of her and the handful of Royal Guard that remained. "Keep them distracted for as long as possible." Sera told them, holding onto her glaive tightly. "We need to make sure our Queen gets to safety above all else."

Riding to the western side of the Broken Shore, Victoria slipped in and out of consciousness several times before they stopped by the water, looking back to Tanadia who stood behind Snow with her staff in her hand, pulsing holy light at the felhounds that followed them. "Tana..." Victoria said weakly, laying down on Snow with her head now pressed against the top of his. "Tana... Where is Sera?"

"I don't... know!" The Priestess strained, holding back the felhounds and glancing over her shoulder towards her Victoria. "Hold on, Vic!" She yelled when she saw the Queen was slowly sliding off Snow's back.

"I... Can't hold.. On.." Victoria muttered, sliding off Snow's back and into the desecrated land below her with a thud, being prodded by Snow's nose as he sniffed and nudged her.

Tanadia pushed her wall of holy light towards the felhounds and incinerated them, running to her sister's side and picking her up but then collapsing onto her knees and having the Queen lay on her. "Vic... I can't do any more..." She placed a hand on her head and over the cut the was still seeping blood down her face. "I'm.. tired."

Snow's ears perked up when he heard more demons coming towards them, nudging Tanadia and Victoria with his nose to get them to hide behind the rocks nearby and having the priestess cooperate, dragging her Queen and sister with her until they were hiding beside the rocks Snow was pushing them towards, realising they were in a small cave and thanking the Titans for being so close to it. "Fan out and find them!" The lead demon commanded, scraping their sword across the floor. "They will be a fitting prize for our master!"

When the sound of hooves, laughing imps and growling felhounds had gone, Tanadia sighed and looked down at her sister who was sleeping on her once more. "We shouldn't be here, Vic." She said quietly, looking at the wounds all over her body. "You weren't cut, but you have a broken leg, several bruises and a concussion." She wiped away some more blood from her head. "I got lucky I suppose, only a cut on my head, but that's because you held onto me and saved me from any more damage."

She let out another sigh and looked up at the darkened sky, watching as more green meteors fell from it and crashed further in land. "I have no idea how we are going to get out of here."


	29. Chapter 29

**The Crash Site**

"How are we even going to get there?" Luna asked, standing in the middle of Windrunner Village. "It's not like we can just sail to the Broken Shore. We will have a similar fate to those who didn't make it back."

"My sister." Sylvanas told them. "We will go to Dalaran and talk to my sister, see if she and Rhonin can help us get to the Broken Shore safely so we can look for our family." She looked over to Athrodar who nodded in agreement to her plan. "We just need you to open a portal to Dalaran." Sylvanas said, looking at Thalina who remained silent throughout their gathering. "Thal?"

"Yes, right... Sorry." Thalina wiped away a small tear present in her eye and began to conjure a portal to Dalaran.

When it materialised, Elaria and Luna were the first through, followed by Sylvanas and then Athrodar, but not until he had spoken to Thalina who still looked upset. "We will find them, Thal. They will be okay, do you hear me?"

Thalina smiled a little and nodded her head when Athrodar did. "We will find our daughter." She said, watching him smile. "She is safe with Victoria and Sera."

"Yes she is, now come on." Athrodar gestured towards the portal. "Let's go talk to Vereesa and Rhonin."

The five of them made their way to the Violet Citadel that looked to be very busy, especially now since they had just been attacked whilst floating above Karazhan and teleported the entire city to the Broken Isle, just west of the Broken Shore. The City was so busy that they almost missed the younger Windrunner sister as she made to leave with a group of rangers. "Vereesa!" Sylvanas yelled over all the talking, making her turn around to look for the source of the voice and locking eyes with Sylvanas.

"Lady Moon..." Vereesa muttered, pushing her way through the crowds and hugging her sister when they were close enough. "I'm so sorry about Victoria... I heard what happened."

"That's why we're here, Little Moon." Sylvanas saw her sister frown, rubbing her arm when she saw sadness on her face too. "She is still alive. Athrodar believes she would have escaped with some of her guard and her sister, and I agree."

Vereesa's eyes narrowed at her sister. "So why are you here exactly? Because it doesn't look like you're here to help me out."

"We're here to find a way onto the Broken Shore to look for her." Sylvanas began to frown at her sister when her words hit her. "Wait, help you with what?"

Vereesa began to smile and look down at the necklace she was wearing. "I think Alleria is alive. Some of my rangers interrogated a demon and they said she was on a planet named Niskara."

"Little Moon..." Sylvanas muttered, watching her sister's smile widen. "How can you trust the word of a demon? It might be a trap."

The smile was wiped away from Vereesa's face when she heard her sister's question. "I have to take that chance, sister." Vereesa told her. "Our sister might be alive, we can't sit here and do nothing. I'm willing to take this risk, just like you five are all willing to go to the Broken Shore to save members of our family."

Sylvanas smiled when she looked back to her sister's company waiting for her, returning her attention to Vereesa who had a look of certainty about her. Certainty and confidence in her task. "Then go find our sister, Little Moon." She told her, hugging Vereesa tightly. "Bring her home to us."

"I will." Vereesa said, pulling back to look at Sylvanas. "Rhonin is coming with me, so he can't help you either... But Khadgar is serving as ruler of the Kirin Tor until we return, so maybe he can help."

"Thank you, Vereesa." Athrodar said whilst Sylvanas hugged her sister again. "And good luck with your task."

"You too." Vereesa smiled at Athrodar. "I hope both Victoria and Tanadia are alive and well, I couldn't imagine losing two daughters on the same day."

* * *

"Stay here and look after her." Tanadia stroked Snow's head, leaning down and kissing the top of it shortly after. "I need to find us a way off this land and to safety." The Priestess sighed. "Something that is becoming increasingly difficult the more they send out those patrols."

"Tana... wait.." Victoria said weakly, trying to stand up and letting out a sharp scream as she applied pressure to her broken leg, falling back down and clenching her teeth as the pain shot through her. "I'm... I'm coming with you."

"No, Vic." Tanadia crouched down beside her sister, helping her sit up and placing her hands on her leg just to heal it. "You're in no condition to do anything. Snow will look after you, okay? I will be quick, I promise." She kissed Victoria on the forehead, watching Snow lay down beside her when she began to leave. "I'll stay low and make sure I am hidden."

Setting off into the unknown, Tanadia crept around the Broken Shore, keeping to the water and looking for anything that could be used as a raft to cross the vast body of blue liquid between them and the rest of the Broken Isle. "With the death of their Highlord and former King, the armies of Azeroth will be left reeling from the losses of their soldiers and commanders."

Tanadia looked up at the ledge two Eredar were standing on, talking to each other about the recent battle and having to hold in her gasp when she heard the name of the Highlord. "Tirion..." She whispered to herself, feeling her heart break at the loss of one of her childhood mentors. "No... You can't be dead?"

One of the Eredar laughed. "The way he screamed for his precious light to save him will always make me laugh."

"Very noble of that great King to sacrifice himself to save the others." The other Eredar said, turning around to walk away. "Left his son without his family. Maybe he will actually grow up to be strong instead of depending on his father and the light."

The first Eredar laughed again. "A weak world. I'll be glad to see it burn in fel fire."

Tanadia watched both of the Eredar walk away, collapsing to her knees and sobbing at the thought of never seeing Tirion again, a man that helped her on her journey to becoming a priestess along with Liadrin. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you, Tirion..." She muttered, wiping her eyes. "I won't fail you now, I will show you that your faith in me wasn't misplaced."

Collecting herself, Tanadia got back up onto her feet and kept low, trying to find something to use as a raft of some kind that will ferry her sister and Snow across the sea, as well as herself. "Oh..." She muttered when she saw an Eredar climb off a strange disc like device. "What is this?"

When the Eredar stood off the disc like device, she saw it was hovering above the ground and raised an eyebrow at it. "This could be useful..." She whispered to herself and began to make her way towards it slowly. She made sure to stay low, in the shadows whilst watching the two Eredar walk away from the devices. "Now's my chance." She told herself, reaching for them and dragging them towards her when she got her hands on them and looking around to see if anyone had seen her.

She let out a long sigh when she saw she was safe, placing one down in front of her and inspecting it. "How does this even work?" She asked herself, placing one foot on it and hearing a strange noise, removing her foot and hearing the noise again, but like it was dying instead of coming to life. "Interesting."

Meanwhile, Victoria was trying to climb onto Snow who remained laying beside her, groaning and occasionally gasping when the pain from her leg took over her entire body the second she put any pressure on it. "Help me up, baby..." She pleaded to the nightsaber who remained unmoving. "Please.."

Snow grumbled and moved his head to lay on her good leg, keeping her pinned down. "The one time you choose to sleep... Is when I need you the most?" Victoria rested her head against the rock wall she was leaning against, watching as Snow slept peacefully on her lap and began to let her mind wonder. Where was Sera? Was she okay? Is anyone actually looking for her or Tanadia? "I hope so..." She muttered out loud to that final part, placing a hand on Snow's head. "We won't survive long out here without them."

"Vic?" Tanadia whispered, walking into the cave with both disc like devices in her arms. "Are you still here?"

"Tanadia.. What is that?" Victoria asked, sitting up and grimacing when her leg began to throb. "I need to see a healer quickly, or you're going to have to heal it."

"We will." Tanadia said, placing down the devices. "Get on this." She told her, watching Victoria frown. "Trust me. These things hover and if we're quick enough, we can get across the water without being noticed." She looked over to Snow and watched him sniff the disc. "We need to go now though, I think the Eredar I stole these from have noticed and are searching for them and therefore us."

"Tana..." Victoria shook her head and placed her hands on the disc Tanadia moved over to her. "We'll talk about this when we're in the clear."

Tanadia nodded her head and helped her sister up and onto the disc, followed by tapping on the other one for Snow to climb on and watching him curl up into a ball and take up the majority of it. "Looks like I am sharing with you, sister. Maybe I can work on your leg once we're safe."

"How exactly do you use these things?" Victoria asked once Tanadia sat down in front of her, gasping and clenching her teeth when she picked up her broken leg. "Now!? You said when we were safe!" She screamed.

"Shhh! I know I did, I needed to move it!" Tanadia's ears perked up and twitched when she heard yelling in the distance. "Oh crap... Looks like we have to go, now!"

"You didn't answer me Ques-"

Before she could finish her sentence, both discs began to move quickly across the water and away from the Broken Shore, Snow picking his head up from his curled position and having a look of terror on his face as they moved across water whilst Victoria held onto her sister who was laughing and giggling at the speed. "I love this!" Tanadia cried, zipping across the water quick than she thought possible.

"I hate this!" Victoria yelled shortly after, holding onto her sister tightly who continued to laugh.

* * *

"I can't send you to the Broken Shore, not after all the losses we have just endured."

The conversation between the great mage Khadgar and Sylvanas had been going on for close to ten minutes now, both sides having a stalemate though Khadgar was wavering at the relentless asking and pressing from Sylvanas.

"Khadgar, please." Sylvanas took hold of the human's hand with both of her own, her eyes pleading with him. "Our daughters are still out there." She looked over to Elaria who was standing beside Luna. "Her sister is also on there. Nobody could get to the wreckage, but I know my daughter, I know her sister and their General. They are strong and smart, they are out there somewhere waiting for someone to rescue them."

The human mage sighed and looked over to Athrodar who stood beside Sylvanas. "Look... I knew your sister and if you're anything like her, you're going to find a way there whether or not I help you." He walked over to the nearby window and looked out of it, reaching for his staff Atiesh. "I suppose I might as well help you so you don't get yourselves into trouble."

"Thank you." Sylvanas said, hugging the mage. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

Khadgar saw Athrodar roll his eyes, smiling at the elf. "I have a rough idea."

"I can help with whatever you need us to do." Thalina said, stepping forward. "My father is -"

"I know your father, Thalina." Khadgar said, surprising the elf when he adressed her. "He visited Dalaran when I was a boy and taught my class on occasion." Khadgar looked at the group who came to him, holding onto Atiesh and pointing towards the exit of the Violet Citadel. "This way."

Sylvanas kissed Athrodar as the rest of the group began to follow Khadgar. "Stay by my side and we will find her together." Sylvanas told him, taking hold of his hand. "Then we will take her home with us and inform Stormwind she is safe.".

"Tanadia too." Athrodar told her, watching Sylvanas nod her head in agreement. "We will bring our entire family back to Windrunner Village and away from this war until they want to go back."

"And we will go with them." Sylvanas said, looking Athrodar in the eyes. "I want to keep my family safe and I can only do that if I have them by my side."

"And I am with you on that." Athrodar agreed, kissing his wife again. "Let's go find our missing family."

Khadgar had taken them to Krasus' Landing and began to examine the Broken Shore from the significant distance they were from it. "I am going to need you to help me, Thalina. We are creating a transport system that will take you down there for however long you plan to be there. If you get into trouble or are looking to port back, cast this same spell again and think of this place, got it?"

The Magister nodded her head and took hold of Khadgar's hand when he offered her it. "I got it." She said, listening to him explain the spell.

"We are going to find them and they will be fine." Elaria said to herself, having Luna's hand on her shoulder. "Sera will be fine." She said, this time to Luna who smiled and nodded her head.

"Yes she will." Luna told her, planting a kiss on her cheek. "You will get your sister back."

Khadgar and Thalina spent close to ten minutes conjuring the spell, using up most of the Magister's mana reserves and weakening her a lot by the time she had finished. "Stay hidden." Khadgar told her when the spell was ready. "Get your mana back and be ready for a hasty exit."

Thalina nodded and looked over to Athrodar, Sylvanas, Elaria and Luna. "We're ready." She told them, holding onto the spell in her hand. "Just hold onto me and we will be ported near the crash site, away from any of the demons."

As the four of them help onto Thalina's arm, they all grasped their weapons with their free hands and waited to be ported to the Broken Shore. "When you're ready, Thal." Athrodar said, holding onto the grip of his sword tightly.

The Magister looked at Khadgar and nodded. "We're ready."

"Remember what you are all doing. It's dangerous to go there as an army, so to go as a group of five? Just be careful and don't take risks." Khadgar took hold of Thalina's hand and began to conjure the spell. Purple mist began to swirl around them all, starting from the feet and encasing them within a bubble that invaded their entire vision. "Once the arcane bubble is gone, you'll be on the Broken Shore!" Khadgar yelled at them from outside the bubble. "Be prepared for an immediate assault by the Legion if they spot you."

Sylvanas grasped her bow with her free hand, waiting for the bubble to drop and glancing over to Athrodar who was doing the same, except he was holding onto his sword and not his bow. "Ready?" She asked him, watching him nod.

"I'm ready." He told her.

Once the purple arcane bubble dropped, the five of them all moved out the way for a felfire ball that was thrown at them, having Sylvanas reach for an arrow and letting it loose at the Eredar that launched the spell at them, watching it stick them in the chest and fall to the ground. "Luna!" She yelled, looking over to the Draenei. "Put up a shield!"

Luna slammed her staff down into the ground and summoned a holy shield around their group, watching as several felfire spells bombarded the shield and weakening it a little. "I can hold it for a few minutes only!" She told Sylvanas.

"That's more than enough time." Sylvanas responded, looking to her left and watching Athrodar switch to his bow and let loose a couple arrows into the swarming demons. "Athrodar."

Athrodar watched as his arrow found a fel bat, the bat like creatures they were told ripped apart the gunship they were searching for, and land on a group of imps. "Yeah?" He glanced over to Sylvanas, knocking another arrow in place and pulling back the bowstring to aim at another bat.

"Take Elaria and find us a way through these demons." Sylvanas told him, letting loose an arrow into a fel hound that was trying to sap the energy from the holy shield around them. "We need to move out of the open and," she looked back at Thalina who was conjuring weak balls of fire due to the teleportation sapping her energy, "Thal needs to recover before our journey back. Something we can't do here."

Elaria followed Athrodar through a small pass to the side of them, watching as a stream of demons charged and clashed against the bubble of holy magic around the rest of their group, throwing away their lives just to weaken the shield. "They're killing themselves just to get to us?" The Night Elf asked, looking over to Athrodar who was watching the same thing. "That's madness."

"That's the Burning Legion." Athrodar told her, patting her on the arm and nodding towards an unguarded passage. "There's our exit."

Elaria nodded and began to make her way towards it, stopping when she was halfway down it and looking back to Athrodar. "Go get the others, Luna will block off the entrance with a spell that should last a few minutes."

"Giving us enough time to get away." Athrodar smirked and nodded at her. "Stay here, I'll go get them."

"Have you found a way out?" Sylvanas asked, reaching for her final arrow. "Because we are going to need it very soon."

Athrodar nodded and took out all the arrows from his quiver and placed them in Sylvanas'. "We have. There's a small passage on our left that Luna can place a shield in front of to block their entry. If we go now, Elaria is waiting for us and will hold them back whilst we get Thalina to safety."

Sylvanas nodded and reached for one of the arrows Athrodar placed in her quiver. "Then let's get going." She said, letting it loose into a fel bat that was attacking the weakened shield.

"When you're ready." Athrodar said to Luna as Sylvanas helped Thalina to safety.

"When I drop this, they will swarm us immediately. I need you to watch my back when we start running."

Athrodar smiled at the Draenei. "Don't worry, I'm already one step ahead of you."

* * *

Tanadia pulled on the Legion disc that had Victoria laying on it, walking beside Snow and occasionally looking back to her sister who was drifting in and out of consciousness once more. "She needs a healer, Snow." The priestess told the nightsaber, knowing he wouldn't respond but finding it easier to talk to him than to herself. "I have no idea where we are, but the land is green and I've seen no demons, so there's that."

Tanadia continued to pull the Legion disc for twenty more minutes before finding a small cave, letting out a sigh of relief and dragging her sister towards it. "Keep an eye out for danger." She told Snow, lifting Victoria off the disc and placing her on the floor before placing her hands on her broken leg. "I need to focus on her and fixing her leg."

When Victoria next woke up, she was greeting by the feeling of warmth coming from Tanadia's hands on her leg, smiling and looking down her body towards her sister. "That feels really nice, considering the state of that leg."

"Good." Tanadia said with a smile, looking up to her face. "We are safe for now, Snow is on lookout whilst we stay in this cave."

"We're going to have to start looking for food and water." Victoria told her, looking over to Snow who was laying down by the entrance. "You done the right things getting us off the Broken Shore, but now it's made it harder for people to look for us."

"I know..." Tanadia muttered, stopping the healing on her sister's leg and sighing, wiping at her nose as she sniffed. "Tirion is dead... And Varian." She told her sister who snapped her attention back to the priestess with wide eyes. "I... I don't know who else, but I heard two Eredar laugh at their deaths."

Victoria watched her sister begin to cry at the loss of one of her mentors and gestured for her to come closer, pulling her in for a warm hug when Tanadia shuffled towards her. "I'm so sorry, Tana." She whispered, kissing her on the temple. "Tirion was a good man, they both were."

"I never even got to say goodbye." Tanadia muttered. "The last thing I said to him was that I'd see him next month."

Victoria stroked her sister's hair, being reminded that she was still a child that had not yet experienced war or loss. "I'm sure they are having a funeral for them both as we speak, and anyone else that died during the assault."

Tanada wiped her eyes and looked at her sister with a small smile. "I need to go find us something to eat. Help you get your strength back."

"You don't even know how to hunt, Tana. Are you sure you want to go out there and get us some food?"

Tanadia smiled at her sister. "You can't stand, someone has to get us food and it won't be you." She went back to healing Victoria's leg. "I'll leave in an hour, I just need to heal you some more."

"I'm going to need a splint for this leg, so it can heal properly." Victoria told her, watching Tanadia smile a litlte. "What?"

"Nothing... It's just, Tirion taught me about splints to help heal broken bones. He also taught me how to make normal water turn into holy water and using rags with the holy water to help heal pains." Tanadia looked up at Victoria who frowned at her, knowing the story sounded familiar. "He used it on our father to heal him after the attack on the Wrathgate."

"That's right..." Victoria muttered. "Not the best day for Sylvanas, having a group of her Forsaken betray her and hurt the man she loves so much that he almost died for good." She smiled a little when Tanadia went back to healing her leg. "We will be fine. I'm sure they will move onto these lands to secure a garrison of some sort before attacking the demons. Then we will be saved."

"I know." Tanadia said, smiling at her sister and returning her attention to Victoria's leg. "Our parents will come for us, I'm sure of it."

* * *

"The crash site is just up ahead." Sylvanas said, remaiing low an some rocks and looking out at the destroyed gunship. "If we're quick, we can search it without being caught."

Athrodar looked back at Thalina who was taking a drink from her water pouch, noticing she looked exhausted already. "Someone will have to stay back with Thalina to protect her and make sure she recovers enough strength to port us back to Dalaran."

"I'll stay." Luna said, placing a hand on Thalina's arm. "I can help heal her, perhaps it will help."

Sylvanas nodded, looking back to Elaria and Athrodar. "Sounds like a plan. We're faster anyway, no offence."

Thalina shook her head. "None taken. I'd prefer it if the three people lightest on their feet were going anyway." She smiled at them. "Just find our daughters and her sister."

Staying light and quick on their feet, the three of them found themselves at the back on the gunship, climbing in through one of the torn open holes in the cabin and finding it to be empty, save for the few discarded weapons and slain demons. "There was definately a fight here, but where are all the bodies that aren't demons?" Athrodar asked, looking around the cabin and finding dry patches of blood.

"Maybe they all got out?" Elaria asked, pushing the body of a demon with her foot and making it roll over.

"No, not with this much blood loss." Sylvanas told her. "And with the state of the gunship, somebody would have died for sure. So why can't we find any of the bodies?"

"The Scourge used to use the bodies to create abominations and other monstrosities... Seeing as they were a part of the Burning Legion, it wouldn't be too reaching to think they would do the same." Athrodar looked at both Elaria and Sylvanas, the pair of them not wanting to think about their family being taken. "Or not, maybe they did escape."

Sylvanas nodded towards the exit of the cabin and towards what used to be the deck of the gunship. "Let's move out, see if we can find some tracks."

As soon as they left the cabin however, they were all face to face with what they feared. "No..." Elaria muttered, looking at the many heads on spikes. "No!" She screamed when she saw her sister's head on a spike, all the bodies piled up together and burnt beside the spikes.

Athrodar and Sylvanas both looked on in horror, though it was the latter who had her finger stroking the fletching of one of her arrows. "Do you see Victoria or Tanadia?" She asked Athrodar, watching him shake his head.

"Maybe they got out." Athrodar told her, covering his mouth and nose with his hand whilst he searched the burnt corpses with his sword. "These are all headless, so whoever didn't make it are there." He pointed to the rows upon rows of heads on spikes.

Elaria was brought to her knees, screaming at her sister's head the remained on the pike in front of her. "I'm going to kill them all!" She cursed, fists clenched tightly. "Every single demon will burn for this until there are no more!"

Sylvanas' ears perked up first when she heard distant shouting, followed by Athrodar who quickly ran to Elaria to get her to calm down. "We need to move, we don't have the numbers to take on any more, nor do we have the arrows." Sylvanas looked over to Athrodar who nodded at her assessment. "We will move further in land when they aren't so high on alert. For now we have to wait this out until it's safe to get around again."

Athrodar lifted Elaria up onto her feet, gently pushing her back the way they came and looking back to the head of Sera they were leaving behind. "Victoria is going to be crushed." He told Sylvanas who sighed.

"I know... Let's hope she is safe and we can return to her before anything similar happens."


	30. Chapter 30

**Lost On A New Land**

"Woah..." Tanadia muttered, watching as a herd of Dreamrunners, white horses with green tails, legs and manes as well as a horn on their heads, walked passed her. "They're so beautiful..." She whispered to Snow who was prowling beside her. "Don't attack them. We're looking for deer or something like that... Not these beautiful creatures."

Moving further into the grassland they were both in, Tanadia kept low when she heard voices, unfriendly voices at that and keeping to the few trees in the area to listen in on their conversation. "The Illidari are here." A Doomguard said in a harsh tone. "We cannot afford to have them push back our plans!"

"They won't." A second Doomguard said. "They are few in number compared to us. The Burning Legion will see that this world is destroyed."

Tanadia watched them both begin to fly off, placing a hand on Snow's head and looking down at him. "Demon Hunters? I have read about them... Elves sacrificing themselves to fight demons on the frontline." She scratched behind the nightsaber's ear. "Come on, let's find something to eat before we return back to Victoria."

The Queen pulled herself up by using the wall beside her, looking down at her leg that was in a splint and slowly putting some weight onto it, gritting her teeth when a screaming pain shot through her after placing a small bit of weight onto it. "I hate this..." She muttered to herself, breathing heavily to fight through the pain. "I need Sera... She will know what to do."

"Vic?" Tanadia whispered loudly, returning to the cave after being away for a couple hours.

"Tana! What did you get?" Victoria asked, sliding back down until she was sitting on the floor, her leg stretched out whilst the other was tucked up beneath her.

"It's not much... I had to feed Snow." Tanadia showed her the four fish she had managed to catch, thanking the Titans at the time that Athrodar and Elaria took her fishing. "How are you feeling?" The Priestess asked, placing her hand gently on Victoria's leg, pouring some holy magic on it to try and help it heal.

"Other than hungry, I am a little in pain." Victoria told her sister, watching her focus more on her leg. "We need to get moving soon, we've been camped in this cave for long enough."

Tanadia nodded her head, keeping her focus on the leg in front of her. "I know. We are leaving tomorrow to find a new place to set camp and hopefully find someone who can help us." She looked up at her sister who watched her work. "I overheard a couple demons talk about Demon Hunters whilst I was out there. Maybe we could go looking for them."

"One thing at a time, Tana." Victoria told her. "We have return home to Stormwind. Getting me healed or at the very least finding someone to help us is our main priority." She saw Tanadia was about to argue, lifting up her hand to her. "Finding those Demon Hunters may prove to be costly if they're fighting on the front lines."

"Fine..." Tanadia muttered, sighing a little. "Do you think our parents are looking for us?" She asked when she had finished healing her leg for the day. "Do you think they know we're still out here?"

"I'm sure they do." Victoria said, moving an arm around her sister when she sat beside her. "If I know our parents, they will do anything to make sure we're returned home. They're probably on their way to find us this very second."

* * *

"We should head back to Dalaran." Athrodar said softly, standing behind Sylvanas who was looking out the cave they were in. "Thalina is exhausted, Elaria isn't in the best state and Luna is almost spent."

Sylvanas closed her eyes and sighed, pressing her head against Athrodar's when he kissed her on the shoulder. "You're right... We'll pick this up tomorrow." She whispered to him, looking back at Luna who was trying to keep Elaria calm. "All of her guard were there, Athrodar. She doesn't have anyone to protect her now."

"I know..." Athrodar looked down at a small patch of fur that seemed out of place. "What is that..?"

Sylvanas' gaze fell to the patch of fur on the ground, crouching down and picking it up. "They were here!" She exclaimed, looking up at Athrodar. "This is Snow's fur. I'd recognise it anywhere." She laughed lightly, looking back down at the clump of fur in her hand. "He sheds so much around this time, this could be key to finding them."

Thalina watched Athrodar walk out the cave, frowning when he crouched down nearby. "What's going on?" She asked, looking back at Sylvanas.

"I think we've found a lead." Sylvanas told her, placing a hand on Elaria's shoulder when she walked towards her. "Your sister did her job, Elaria... She protected Victoria until her last breath and they managed to escape."

"You don't know that..." Elaria muttered, rolling her shoulder to remove Sylvanas' hand from it. "They could have been captured and she would have died for nothing."

"No." Athrodar stood up and looked inside the camp. "Some more of this fur is out here. It leads towards the water." He looked back at the body of water between him and a distance land mass. "They must have used a raft to get off the Broken Shore and over there." He pointed towards the body of water. "They escaped, I know it."

Thalina began to conjure a spell, pulling herself up onto her feet. "Let's... Let's get back to Dalaran." She said, trying to keep her eyes open as her mana pool was almost empty. "If.. If.. If they're safe... We should r-rest up and look again... Tomorrow."

Luna placed her hand on Thal's arm and the on Elaria's shoulder. "I agree. If you are sure they aren't here and are somewhere else, we should look for them when we're all rested."

Athrodar made his way towards them, taking hold of Sylvanas' hand whilst her other one rested on Thalina's arm. "We're ready." He told the Magister, being ported to Dalaran soon after and catching her before she fell. "Get her some help!" He exclaimed, placing Thalina down slowly and watching Luna begin to heal her.

"It might be longer than a day until we are all ready to leave." Sylvanas told Athrodar when he stepped back from her, letting a few Kirin Tor guardians look after Thalina now. "We should tell Khadgar what we found and where we think our daughter's might be."

Athrodar nodded, looking back at Sylvanas who hugged his arm. "And probably find an inn to spend a night or two in before we head back out." His attention turned to Elaria who remained sat down in the middle of Krasus' Landing. "El, are you coming? I am going to find an inn to stay in whilst Sylvanas talks to Khadgar."

The Night Elf sighed and nodded her head slowly, wiping her eyes to clear her vision. "Yes..." She muttered, looking up at Athrodar and for the first time in his life, saw how broken his best friend looked at the loss of her sister.

"Come on.." Athrodar whispered, helping her up onto her feet and keeping an arm around the Night Elf as they made their way further into the city, leaving Luna with Thalina to help heal her whilst they made their way to the priests. "We will find Victoria and Tanadia. You will see that your sister died to save them, she will be remembered as a hero by the people of Stormwind before this war is over, trust me. A statue to remember her by too."

"She would have liked that..." Elaria told him, walking into the inn Athrodar took her to. "Leave me at the bar. The one thing I am good for now is drinking away my feelings until we are ready to go."

Athrodar sighed, knowing she would have stayed at the bar no matter what he said to her. "Okay. Let me just get our rooms for the next few days."

"Leave Thalina with us." Elaria told him, sticking up her hand to get the bartender's attention. "Luna can look over her and assess how quickly she is recovering."

Athrodar thanked the innkeeper, patting Elaria on her back. "Here, give this to Luna when she arrives. And don't drink yourself into a coma. I still need you, friend."

Elaria smiled a little, taking the key off Athrodar and pocketing it. "I won't.. I just need to be alone at the moment."

* * *

Tanadia rode on the back of Snow, pulling Victoria along on an abandoned cart they had found, making it easier to transport the Queen with her broken leg. "We have to head north." She told her sister who asked where they were going. "The demons I saw earlier began to make their way south, which can only mean that's where their army is."

"Or they're north and those demons are pushing south to take more of the land." Victoria told her, feeling the cart stop moving. "Just keep your eyes open for anything odd and we'll be fine." She told her, watching Snow begin to move forward once more. "For all we know, we could be walking into the most friendly village in the world."

"I hope so." Tanadia said, smiling brightly. "They could help you with your leg and feed Snow properly." She pat the nightsaber on the belly. "He's hungry, I know it. I have kept him away from hunting these beautiful horses, they remind me a little of Quel'Dorei steeds."

Victoria smiled when she saw the exact creature she was talking about in the distance. A small herd of white horses with green mains and legs and a white horn on its head. "Good. I don't want him to kill such a beautiful creature. But he will have to hunt for himself soon, just to keep his strength up."

"I know, I just wanted to find a place where he can hunt and not kill them." Tanadia squinted as she looked further ahead of them, seeing something in the distance that caught her attention. "There's something in front of us."

Victoria tried to move around so she could look in front of them, only seeing a small part of what Tanadia could see as Snow was in the way of most of it. "What is it?"

"It looks like.. a portal?" Tanadia tilted her head a little, widening her eyes slowly when she saw demons flooding out of it. "Oh no..."

"Find somewhere to hide!" Victoria yelled, holding onto the cart tightly as Snow began to move quickly out of sight of the portal. "We need to wait until it's dark, or for something to get their attention before we can move on." Victoria told Tanadia when she climbed down from Snow. "We have to play this smart now, we only have each other to rely on."

Tanadia nodded her head in agreement, keeping behind the bushes she stopped Snow behind and looking down at Victoria. "And with your leg being as it is, we can't move far very fast."

"I know.." Victoria looked down at her leg. "I think Sera is dead." She told her sister, looking up at her now and seeing her eyes wide with shock. "Something inside of me tells me that she was killed saving us."

"Then she died a hero." Tanadia said quietly, not liking the idea of another friend being killed the same day as the others. "I wished we were in Windrunner Village... not Queen and Princess of Stormwind. We wouldn't be here, your leg wouldn't be broken and we would be safe and happy with our family." She hugged herslf whilst sitting beside Snow, curling up into a ball. "I want dad... and my mom..." She muttered, hugging herself tighter as she began to weep to herself.

Victoria wanted to do the same. She felt the same as her sister at the time, wanting to trade this life right now for one where she was with her family, but she didn't have that luxury, not yet anyway. She had to look after her sister and get herself to safety at the same time, something that was becoming difficult the more the Princess sacrificed herself to her emotions. "Tana, you need to be quiet." She told her, hearing some rustling nearby and having her ear's twitch to the noise. "Tana, please!" She whispered to her, pleading with her sister who was too far gone.

The rustling continued, making Snow stay low to the ground and flapping his ears back to his head, waiting to pounce on the intruder. "You shouldn't be here..." A voice said, stepping out from where they were hiding, looking over to Victoria who acknowledged the intruder. "You has been affected by a demon. There's not much trace left of them, but I can see you has been near one recently." They narrowed their eyes, at least Victoria thought they did as there was only a green glow behind the thin black cloth over their eyes. "A succubus no less."

"That was... a personal thing." Victoria muttered, shaking her head and glaring at the intruder. "Who are you? Why do you know something about me before we've even met?"

The intruder smiled a little at the Queen, though it wasn't a happy smile, more of a cocky grin. "I'm a Demon Hunter named Marius Felbane, and this is..." The Demon Hunter looked back to an empty spot beside him groaning and using his fel gaze to find his friend. "Tehd! Get your damned Forsaken body over here!"

Victoria looked over to where the Demon Hunter was looking, watching a Forsaken Warlock step out from where he was hiding and looked down at the Queen. "Victoria? Where is Sylvanas and Athrodar?" He asked the moment he recognised her.

"They are..." Victoria sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. What are you doing here anyway? And why are you with this Demon Hunter?"

"I recently arrived from Dalaran, my Lady." Tehd said, bowing his head to Victoria in respect, despite her no longer being Forsaken. "I ran into this blind buffoon when he was struggling with a demon. Two spells and a bit of coin later and I've been stuck with him for the last two days."

"It's no picnic for me either." Marius mumbled. "Yes we hate each other, if you haven't guessed. But he is good at tracking and containing demons." He began to grin. "And I am good at killing them."

"Sounds like a good team.." Tanadia muttered, wiping her eyes. "Can you help us?"

"Where do you need to go?" Tehd asked her in return.

"Somewhere for my sister to get healed. I don't think we can get to Dalaran from here, there are demons everywhere to our south."

"And Naga." Tehd told the Priestess. "I saw them swarming in to the south of here as well."

"Plus the demons flooding out that portal to our north." Marius added. "Wherever you two were going, you will run into an enemy no matter what."

"Which is why my sister asked for your help." Victoria looked up at the Demon Hunter. "Can you help us?"

* * *

"I hope they are safe." Sylvanas whispered to Athrodar, sitting up on her knees behind him as they both got ready to sleep, hugging him from behind and pressing her ear against his back. "I can't imagine being out there on their own, at night and possibly surrounded by the enemy." She hugged him a little tighter when she thought about their daughters being alone out there. "We always had squads of rangers, or an army with us when we were surrounded by the enemy... It's just two of them and a nightsaber."

Athrodar placed a hand over Sylvanas' and stroked the ring on her finger. "Victoria knows to keep safe. She will find a place to hunker down and wait for help."

"I know, I still worry for them though." Sylvanas sat up and kissed Athrodar's shoulder when he removed his tunic. "Can we just lay here and you hold onto me? I don't think I can sleep knowing they're out there, but I want to try whilst I'm in your arms."

"Of course." Athrodar said with a smile, laying down and wrapping an arm around Sylvanas, stroking her golden hair with his other hand. "And I will stay awake as long as I can just to make sure you sleep tonight."

Sylvanas smiled in his protective hold, planting a kiss or two on his chest before pressing her ear against his heart, listening to her favourite song to help lull her to sleep. "We should try to convince them to come back to Windrunner Village with us when we find them, keep them away from this war for as long as possible."

"Until the Stormwind council get wind of our plans and demand to have their Queen back." Athrodar planted a couple of kisses of his own on Sylvanas' head, taking in a deep breath and getting a scent of her hair, smiling when it reminded him of the forests back home. "I hope we find them soon. I want to get back to our family, our forests and our own bed."

Sylvanas chuckled and nodded her head against his chest, smiling to herself. "So do I. I want to hold our son tightly in my arms and listen to him complain about being embarrassed by us, I want to sleep and having our daughter Alleria sleep inbetween us because she is still at the age where she loves doing that." Her smile brightened a little. "And I want to hold our youngest, Cedani, in my arms. I want to watch her grow up and become something special, someone who isn't a ranger like her brother wants to be, who her sister looks to be going towards." Sylvanas smiled just a little brighter. "I want her to decide what she wants to be and I will stand by her every step of the way."

Athrodar smiled and held onto her tightly. "Just don't tell her brother or sister that... They'll see it as favouritism."

"Please... Like we have favourites." Sylvanas looked up at Athrodar who looked down at her, raising an eyebrow at his grin. "Which one is yours?" She asked him.

"Cedani." Athrodar told her, making Sylvanas laugh.

"Look at that, we have the same one." Sylvanas smiled and hugged Athrodar tightly, pressing her ear back to his chest. "But I agree, we can't tell the other two... They will hold it against us forever."

The two of them now laid in silence, holding onto each other as their room darkened due to the night sky rolling in. "I want her to come back with us." Sylvanas whispered to break the silence. "If I can convince her, I want Victoria to come home with us and stay at home."

"I want her to come back with us too." Athrodar told her, feeling Sylvanas' grip on him loosen a little and knowing she was slowly drifting off to sleep. "For now, all we can do is sleep and start again tomorrow." He whispered to her now, stroking her hair again and planting a kiss on her temple. "Just sleep now."

"Only if you do..." Sylvanas muttered, loosening her grip on Athrodar and drifting off to sleep, being followed by Athrodar shortly after.


	31. Chapter 31

**The Last Stand**

"Same again." Elaria said, pointing to her glass.

Athrodar frowned at the Night Elf, climbing down the last two steps that led up to rooms he had rented for his group and making his way over to the bar. "When did you wake up?" He asked, sitting beside Elaria.

"An hour ago." The Night Elf told him, thanking the bartender and downing the glass of bourbon before asking for another shot. "I never got to spend much time with her. Especially the last couple of years before her death."

"You can't hold that against yourself." Athrodar told her, placing a hand on her back and watching her flinch. "She dedicated her life and undeath to protecting Victoria when she joined the Forsaken, spent countless hours by her side through many fights and the less than fun political situations."

Elaria smiled a little, looking down at the refilled glass of bourbon, picking it up and swirling it around before taking a sip this time. "Remember how simple our lives were when we were assassins?" She asked, looking at the rows upon rows of bottles on the opposite side of the bar in front of her. "Sure we weren't _always _safe. But we weren't in danger of dying whenever, done as we wished when we weren't back at Ravenholdt Manor and ate, drank and fucked our way into a coma a few days before our task was due to be complete."

Athrodar smiled at her summing up of their time as assassins. "Albeit simpler times, I don't want to give up what I have now to go back to that." He saw Elaria's smile sadden. "And I don't think you do either. At least not with Luna in your life."

Elaria shook her head. "Of course not. But if something happens for her to no longer be in my life, I might not be able to stop myself from drinking until I'm dead, or I go back to Ravenholdt Manor and pledge myself to the assassins once more." She glanced over to Athrodar who frowned at her. "I'll see if I can talk Ravenholdt about keeping my memories of you and your family, but I will want to remove the bad and the..." She sighed, downing the bourbon in her hand. "The painful memories."

"I hope it doesn't come to that." Athrodar said, placing his hand on her arm now. "You are my family. My children will always need their aunty Elaria, especially when the years catch up to Sylvanas and I." His smile saddened this time, looking down at Elaria's glass that was refilled once more. "Though that is hopefully centuries away."

"When they're old enough, you could talk Sylvanas into disappearing with you and me." Elaria suggested, grabbing the bartender's attention when she stuck up her hand and ordered a drink for Athrodar. "Along with Luna, we could just drop off the face of Azeroth and explore the far corners of this world. I know you both won't want to stay in the same place all the time, I can already see that you want to get back out there and fight."

Athrodar smiled again, looking down at his drink and picking it up. "It wouldn't be a bad idea. Sylvanas loves her children, but if they leave home and begin to make names for themselves, she will want to move on too." He shrugged his shoulders, looking towards the stairs leading to the rented rooms and finding them to be empty. "I catch her from time to time staring out the window of our bedroom, looking out at the sea when she thinks I'm asleep or not looking." He stroked a finger around the rim of his glass, losing himself to the thoughts of a possible new future.

"She might accept." Elaria said, knocking her glass against Athrodar's. "Fuck knows I would if my children left their homes and I was in one place for the rest of my life."

Athrodar chuckled and shook his head. "That's because you don't like sitting in one place."

"True." Elaria said, pointing at Athrodar with her glass in hand. "But I have to admit, staying in Windrunner Village for the last few years has been good. Luna has enjoyed spending her time near the Sunwell and it seems to reinvigorate her when she comes home. If you know what I mean."

"Yes... I know what you mean." Athrodar shook his head and took a sip from his glass. "I always know what you mean..." He trailed off, looking out the nearby window and at the streets of Dalaran. "I'm thinking Pandaria." He said, looking back to Elaria. "As a place we can disappear. We barely touched it when we went there, I'm sure there are many places to explore."

"I wouldn't mind the mountains of Kun-Lai Summit." Sylvanas said, placing a hand on Athrodar's back and kissing his cheek. "I just have one question."

"Shoot." Athrodar said, looking over his shoulder at his wife who snaked her arms around him.

"Why are we planning places to visit under the assumption that we're disappearing?" Sylvanas asked, pressing her cheek against his and looking down at the glass of bourbon in his hand. "And why are we drinking in the morning?"

"I'm drinking because it numbs the pain of losing my sister." Elaria told her, glancing over to Athrodar. "I'm not sure about him."

"I'm just drinking so she doesn't feel left out." Athrodar kissed Sylvanas lightly when she pulled a stool over to sit beside them. "And we are planning places to visit for when our children grow up and leave the nest." He placed a hand over Sylvanas'. "I hope it's not for a long time, but that's what we were discussing."

"I hope it won't happen for a long time too." Sylvanas told him, looking over to Elaria. "How is Luna and Thal?"

"Both still asleep I hope. They need the rest if we are to head out today." Elaria downed the bourbon, stretching her hands above her head and leaning backwards to stretch her back too. "Your sister walked by here earlier, she looked to have something in her hands that she didn't want to let go."

"Oh?" Sylvanas tilted her head, looking around the inn just to find her sister who clearly wasn't there. "Did you see where she went?"

"Probably the Violet Citadel? I don't know, I didn't keep tabs on her." Elaria watched Sylvanas get up and begin to leave. "Tell her I said hi."

"You know she won't say that, right?" Athrodar asked, watching Elaria nod. "Good. You should probably slow down though, I need you alert if we are leaving today to go look for them."

"I'll be fine. I have a high metabolism or something... I'll be drunk for a couple hours but good to go when we're out there." Elaria looked over to a bowl of nuts and dragged them over. "With some help from these bad boys."

Athrodar smiled. "Some things never change."

* * *

Tanadia looked back to Victoria who was being pulled by Snow, smiling a little as she slept in the cart and looking over to the Forsaken beside her. "Do you know if we are near a village?"

"I know the druids are to the north in Val'sharah, we are heading there as we heard there are some powerful demons up there." Tehd looked forward to the Demon Hunter leading them. "He doesn't talk much so don't worry if he is silent."

"I don't talk much, because I don't like talking to you." Marius grumbled, looking over his shoulder at both Tanadia and Tehd. "I won't be going right to the druids, they don't take well to Demon Hunters due to our Lord Illidan. If what I have heard about the state of this planet is true, your sister should be welcomed instantly if Malfurion is there."

"She has been working with the druids in the Park district in Stormwind..." Tanadia muttered, looking back at her sister who continued to sleep. "Thank you for this, both of you. When we crashed on the Broken Shore, we didn't know if we would make it... Three days later and we have run into you two and you're helping us find a healer for my sister."

"She is Lady Windrunner's daughter. Though I may not visit Undercity often and she is living now, I feel like I still have to protect her, for the Dark Lady." Tehd now looked back at the Queen. "The Dark Lady cared for us whilst she was Forsaken, so I will do the same for her daughter until she is safe."

Tanadia began to walk across a lake that took them to Val'sharah, looking back at Snow who was reluctant to cross at first but then done so only because the priestess promised him he could go hunting for his next meal. "Looks like we are resting here then." Marius said, sitting on a nearby rock far away from the group and cleaning his warglaives. "For an hour at least."

Tanadia detatched the cart her sister was sleeping in, crouching down beside her and gently shaking the Queen to wake her up. "Vic, we are stopping in the forests of Val'sharah, okay? Snow is going hunting for his lunch and we will start going again in an hour."

Victoria nodded her head slowly, hearing what her sister was saying but not computing it completely, sitting up and stretching her arms above her head. "What time is it?"

"Just gone noon." Tanadia told her, placing a hand on her leg and pouring some holy magic into it. "I can feel this leg is getting slighlty better, but it will need expert hands if it is to heal properly."

Victoria smiled at her sister, placing a hand on her cheek. "You are doing the best you can. I am proud of that."

Tanadia smiled and rested her head on the side of the cart. "I think we are getting close to a village that will help you. Then we might be able to return home."

"That would be good." Victoria told her, stroking her sister's hair when she noticed the priestess looked tired. "How much have you slept?"

"A few hours here and there." Tanadia told her, covering her mouth with her hand when she yawned. "I'll rest when we get to a place that will help you, I promise."

"Good, thank you." Victoria said with a smile, looking over to Tehd who was going through a small bag on his hip that contained stones and smaller bags of powders. "Found anything out about our two guides?" She whispered to her sister.

"Just Tehd. He doesn't summon demons despite being a warlock, instead he just likes hunting for them, like we already knew. He also is helping us because he wants to keep the daughter of the Dark Lady safe." Tanadia looked over to the Forsaken who pulled out a book and began to read it to pass the time. "I trust him, but that Demon Hunter... He doesn't seem to like, well, any of us."

"They are an unknown to us. We don't know what they have done to be like that, but whatever it was, it's changed them." Victoria looked back at her sister, cupping her head in her hands. "I know you said you'll do it later, but sleep here until Snow is back and we're ready to go. Please, for me?"

Tanadia smiled and nodded her head. "Okay. Just until we have to leave."

* * *

"You didn't find her, did you?"

Vereesa shook her head, sighing and sitting down on a nearby chair. "No..." She looked over to a bow she had brought back with her. "She was there though, I know she was."

Sylvanas followed her sister's gaze, widening her own when she laid eyes on the bow. "Is that..?"

"Her bow." Vereesa confirmed, watching Sylvanas pick it up and brush a hand over it. "Thas'dorah, our family bow."

Sylvanas' hand made it to one of the hawk heads engraved on the bow, feeling her heart tighten as her mind flashed back to the day Alleria left._ "Do you have to go? It's the middle of the night and __I don't trust that human, Alleria. Your place is here, with your family."_

_Alleria smiled and placed a hand on Sylvanas' cheek. "You will always be in my heart, Lady Moon. Vereesa too. But I have to do this, these orcs have slain many of our kin... Our brother died to them when they -" Alleria sighed, lowering her head and looking at the bow in her hand. "I have to go. Someone has to stop them from killing any more innocent lives."_

_Sylvanas stepped forward and hugged her older sister. "Come back to us when it's over, okay? It won't be the same with you and Lirath gone. We're all Vereesa has and I don't want her to lose her Lady Sun." She pulled back a little and brushed a thumb across her sister's cheek. "Promise me you will come back?"_

_Alleria just smiled at her sister, looking passed her and towards Vereesa who was sleeping on a couch. "Look after her, okay? She is still young, she will not understand why I have gone."_

Sylvanas blinked hard when the memory faded, looking back to her sister who has a warm smile on her face. "What do you plan to do with this?" She asked, ignoring the lone tear rolling down her cheek.

"I was going to give it to you." Vereesa told her, standing up and wiping away the tear on Sylvanas' cheek. "You're the eldest now. Alleria would want you to have it."

Sylvanas placed the bow down on the table she picked it up from, hugging Vereesa shortly after. "Thank you, Little Moon." She whispered, holding onto her tightly. "She is out there, we will find her."

"I know." Vereesa whispered, holding onto her sister tightly as well. "We will find her soon."

* * *

Athrodar made his way out the inn, leaving Elaria to talk to Luna who had come to interrupt their drinking, stepping outside to get the sun on his face and looking over to a group of rangers making their way passed him. "Viraleth?" He asked, tilting her head a little and watching the lead widen her eyes and smile at him when she recognised him.

"Athrodar? Why are you here?" Viraleth asked, hugging him when she made her way towards the elf. "Where's Sylvanas?"

"She's with her sister at the moment." Athrodar told her, pulling back and looking at the Scout Captain of Silvermoon. "How have you been?"

"I'm good. I'm sorry I didn't visit often, I have been busy with the remnant of the Scourge near the borders of the Eastern Plaguelands." Viraleth frowned at Athrodar, noticing he didn't answer her question. "Why are you here?"

Athrodar sighed, knowing he had to tell her. "Victoria and Tanadia are missing." He held up his hand when Viraleth was about to talk. "Wait, hold on. They aren't missing as such, we know roughly where they are, but we haven't found them yet."

"Do you need help?" Viraleth asked him. "We were sent here to scout out Azsuna, perhaps we can help with finding your daughters too."

"That would be fantastic, thank you." Athrodar smiled at the Scout Captain, though it began to sadden when he remembered what he saw on the Broken Shore. "She recently lost Sera. We don't know if she knows, but we found her head along with the rest of her guard and several other soldiers. She might just need to see a friendly face and yours might be the one she needs to see."

Viraleth nodded her head slowly, though her gaze was on the floor. "Sera was a good soldier. A fantastic General to her Queen. She deserved better, but I know she died to protect her Queen and Princess."

Athrodar placed a hand on Viraleth's shoulder. "We believe so too." He looked over to the Violet Citadel. "If you have time, Sylvanas would love to see you here and know that you are looking for our daughter."

Viraleth looked over to the Violet Citadel and smiled. "I'll go find her, thank you."

Athrodar watched the Scout Captian walk off, looking into the inn and finding Elaria on her own at the bar again. "I'm going to have to drag her away from the bar, aren't I?" He asked himself, sighing and walking back into the inn.

"Luna said Thal is stronger than she was last night, but still isn't fully recovered." Elaria told Athrodar the moment he returned to the seat beside her. "She should be good to go later today, around nightfall."

Athrodar sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "That's not good. We'll be falling behind by another day as I can't see anyone wanting to go look when it's dark."

"Sylvanas might." Elaria told him, spinning around on her stool and facing the door to the bathrooms. "Right, I need a piss and then I need to hit something. Drinking isn't working for me."

"Lovely..." Athrodar muttered, watching the Night Elf walk towards the bathrooms and spinning back around to face the bar once she was gone. "What did she say?"

Sylvanas smiled and placed her new bow on the bar. "Alleria is still alive." She told him, taking hold of his hand. "Vereesa didn't find her, but she did find our family bow. Thas'dorah, the legacy of my family. Vereesa passed it to me when I saw her and I love it." Her gaze fell back to the bow. "I feel closer to Alleria with it in my hands... Like she is with me."

Athrodar saw her smile and moved an arm around her, pulling her in closer for a half hug. "Did you talk to Viraleth? I just saw her a moment ago and told her to talk to you."

"About what?" Sylvanas asked, looking for the Scout Captain. "I haven't seen her in months, I have so much to say to her."

Athrodar smiled at her excitement. "I know. I told her to find you because she has offered to look for Victoria whilst she is out there. Her company have their own task, but they will also help look for our daughters or any clues to where they might be."

Sylvanas closed her eyes when Athrodar kissed the top of her head, smiling brighter due to what he just said. "I will want to talk to her before we leave. I want to thank her for her help and a few more things... more personal."

"Anything you can tell me?" Athrodar asked.

"Sure. I won't, but don't worry... It's not all about you." Sylvanas grinned at him when she heard him sigh. "You know I talk to Viraleth about everything. She is my oldest friend, we speak about you and our family a lot."

"Sometimes, I wonder if she is married to you too whenever she visits."

Sylvanas kissed Athrodar on the cheek and hopped off the stool. "She is. But she is mine, you're not allowed to touch her." Picking up her bow off the bar, she kissed Athrodar again before stepping out the inn. "Love you."

"Yeah.. I love you too.." Athrodar grumbled, looking over to the the barkeep and ordering himself a drink.

* * *

The heat of fire raged everwhere, smoke was filling up the cabin and the sound of clashing steel, screaming and shouting filled the eardrums of the priestess. Tanadia looked around to try and find her sister, only watching Sera and the rest of the Royal Guard fight of waves upon waves of demons, both winged and non, all of them fighting with such ferocity just to get inside the cabin. "Victoria!?" She yelled, stumbling forward as her head continued to spin after hitting it when they crashed.

"Tana!" Sera yelled, catching a glimpse of the priestess. "Get down!" She commanded, watching the priestess look behind her and fall to the floor just as a fel guard swung its giant axe, the Night elf throwing her glaive at it and watching as the weapon impaled itself in the demon's chest. "Where is your sister!?" Elaria now yelled, picking the priestess up before yanking her glaive out the demon.

"I... I don't know!" Tanadia yelled back at her, frantically looking around the cabin in search for her sister, spotting a boot sticking out of some rubble and running over to it. "Vic!" She cried, pulling some debris off the body and letting out a sigh of relief that she had found her sister, shaking her body when Sera helped her get more of the debris off her. "Vic, you need to get up!"

The Priestess pulled on her sister's arm, noticing one of her legs weren't moving and gently putting her back down. "Sera, I need your help. Where's Snow?"

Sera put her index finger and her thumb in her mouth and blew a sharp whistle, having Snow run to them and looking back down at Victoria. "He's here, what do you need?"

"Put my sister on his back. She has a broken leg and can't walk, so we need him now more than ever." Tanadia helped Sera lift her sister up onto her feet and then helped her onto Snow, all the while Victoria's head was still spinning and their voices were echoing, finding it hard to stay awake. "We need to get out of here!" She cried when two fel bats burst into the cabin nearby. "Victoria needs to rest and I need to examine her."

Sera looked around at the demons closing in around them, swallowing hard when she knew what she had to do, nodding her head at the Princess. "Go. We will hold off the demon horde. Victoria needs to get to safety, just like you said." The General looked over to her Queen and took hold of her hand, getting her attention the best she could and kissing the back of it. "My Lady, we will hold off the demons. Tanadia will get you to safety and we will be right behind you, okay?" She saw her Queen lazily nod, knowing she didn't fully understand what she was saying but understood just enough. "Go, now!" Sera commanded Tanadia, watching the Princess and Queen ride off on the back of Snow, being chased by a couple of felhounds.

Looking around at the few remaining guards, Sera sunk her glaive into a nearby doomguard that ripped off the door to the cabin one of her guards tried to shut, pulling her weapon out of its chest and looking behind her just as another guard fell to the demons. "This is it..." She thought, parrying a strike from a fel guard and sticking her glaive into a felhound just beneath it. "I will die with honor today."

Four... three... two... Sera looked around as the last guard standing fell to the floor, gripping onto her glaive tightly and letting out a blood raged, death welcoming roar before charging into the ranks of demons in front of her, cutting down a felbat and another fel guard before having two spears pierce her chest, looking up at the two demons who stuck her with their weapons and gritting her teeth tightly and throwing her glaive at an eredar lord who presented himself behind the demons, just missing her mark and cutting his cheek before having her world go black as death's embrace took her.


	32. Chapter 32

**Splitting Up**

Victoria looked around the forest they were travelling in from the cart she was bound to, smiling at how dark and yet warm and welcoming it felt. "Did you say we'll be going to the druids?" She asked, looking over to Tehd who nodded his head at her. "Great. I've always found druids to be very helpful. My brother loves them and had to have his dreams crushed early on when he was told he couldn't become one."

Tanadia smiled and looked down at her sister. "Tahnir wanted to be a druid?"

"Oh yes, he loved them when my parents were living in Stormwind." Victoria smiled when she remembered watching Tahnir sleep amongst the druids on one of the many times they visited the Park District. "They would always welcome him and make sure he was safe. One time I caught him sleeping in the middle of four druids who had shape shifted into giant cats, holding onto one of them whilst the other three kept him warm and safe like he was one of their own." She let out a small laugh, making Tanadia tilt her head a little at her. "We later found out he managed to sleep in between four female druids. Dad was proud of him whilst Sylvanas was... well, let's say she wasn't too happy about it."

Tanadia smiled warmly at the story, looking ahead of them. "When we find a way to get back to our families, I think I want to live in Windrunner Village with my mom. It's closer to the Sunwell and my father. As well as the rest of our family."

"I know Athrodar would love that. Dad has always wanted you to be close by, but you're studying to be a priestess in Stormwind, so it's not gone to plan." Victoria looked up at her sister who continued to look forward, but her smile had gone and was replaced with a look of sadness. "I'm sure your mother wouldn't mind moving to Windrunner Village. It's closer to her parents and since you want to go there to be closer to your dad, she would gladly move if you just asked her."

Tanadia began to smile again, watching Marius lead them further into the forests of Val'sharah. "I hope so. She's happy some days, but most of the time, I can see that she misses her family, being near the Sunwell and just the forests of Eversong in general."

Approaching a crossroads, Marius stopped just before they were out in the open and narrowed his eyes, sensing something was off and scanning the forests. "Tehd. Can you feel what I'm feeling?" He asked, looking back at the warlock.

"No." The Forsaken said, stepping forward and standing beside the Demon Hunter. "What do you feel?"

"Something dark... If it's not demons, then what?" Marius looked back to Victoria and Tanadia, catching a glimpse of Snow who had his ears perked back. "The Nightsaber can feel it too."

Victoria began to look around the forest, trying to find what it was they were talking about and coming up dry. "So if it's not demons, then what is it?"

"I don't know..." Marius muttered, taking a couple steps forward. "Let's find these druids before whatever it is comes out to greet us."

Victoria watched as Snow began to follow the Demon Hunter further in to the forest, looking around for any signs of this looming darkness Marius was talking about. "Do you see anything?" She asked Tanadia who shook her head. "Keep an eye out for anything." She then told her sister.

"I will." Tanadia said, holding onto her staff tightly with both hands and stepping a little closer to her sister for both comfort and security.

* * *

"How is she doing?"

Athrodar looked back to Elaria who was standing beside Thalina and Luna, both Magister and Priestess having a conversation of their own whilst the Night Elf remained silent. "She's coping. If we weren't all here, she might have lost her control and possibly died trying to fight the demons herself." He looked back to his wife who was looking over to the three women. "But like I said, we're here with her and will keep her mind on the task at hand."

"Finding our daughters." Sylvanas said, looking up at Athrodar. "They're near, I can feel it."

"So can I." Athrodar muttered, placing a hand under Sylvanas' chin and brushing his thumb across her bottom lip. "We will have our family back soon, my Queen. Then we can go home."

"About that..." Sylvanas whispered, looking away from him when he frowned at her. "I want to stay here in Dalaran and help Vereesa look for our sister. Once we find our family of course."

Athrodar tilted his head a little now. "What about our children? We can't leave them in Windrunner Village whilst we stay here in Dalaran."

"We move them down here, to live in the city with us... Until we find my sister." Sylvanas gazed into his eyes and saw he was thinking about it, placing a hand on his arm to get his attention. "They will be safe here. Rhonin and Vereesa will make sure it's safe for them here, as well us the two of us helping out. I know it."

"I... I don't know." Athrodar told her, moving his hand up to her cheek and brushing his thumb across it. "You know I will follow you anywhere, my love. But to move our family into a city floating above the enemy? I don't want to take that risk."

"I know, baby." Sylvanas whispered to him softly, stepping forward and pressing her ear against his chest and wrapping her arms around his waist. "I don't ask you for much, you always shower me in love without having to, but I know we are close to finding my sister." She looked up at him with pleading eyes. "I want us to find her, I want my sister back." Sylvanas moved her hands up to his face, placing them on both cheeks. "Please..." She begged, a rarity in itself for her. But this was her sister she was talking about, a sister she hadn't seen in decades.

Athrodar let out a small sigh, leaning into one of her hands and making Sylvanas smile at the action. "Fine." He whispered, closing his eyes when she hugged him. "But the second they are put in danger, I'm taking them back home and I'm going with them."

"Deal." Sylvanas muttered, holding onto her husband tightly. "For now, we have to focus on getting our daughter back. We are two days behind them so we have a lot of catching up to do."

Thalina looked over to Athrodar who was planting a long kiss on the top of Sylvanas' head, sighing a little and looking down at the floor. "This is why I've stayed in Stormwind all these years." She told Luna, looking up at the Draenei. "I'm away from that torture and I get to be with my daughter and Liadrin."

The Draenei smiled a little at the Magister. "You will never move on from him if you keep hiding away from the truth. Athrodar is happy now, he has the family they have both wanted and you are a part of it, whether you like it or not. You're just not in the position you were hoping you would be in."

"I know..." Thalina muttered, rubbing her own arm. "I just want what they have. Someone to hold, to love someone who loves me back unconditionally." The Magister let out a small sigh, lowering her head again. "Someone I can start a family with."

"You'll find the right person." Luna told her, kissing the saddened Magister on the temple. "Right now, your daughter needs you to be strong and to give it your all to find her."

"And you know, if you still need someone to give you some love, Luna and I will gladly show you some of our love." Elaria said with a grin, getting punched in the arm by Luna and rubbing it. "Ow, okay.. I was just trying to help."

"Ready to go?" Athrodar asked, having his arms wrapped around his wife when he spoke to them.

"We are." Elaria said, walking forward and leading them all to Krasus' Landing.

"Let's go find our daughter." Thalina said with a smile, looking up at Athrodar and then down to Sylvanas. "And yours too."

* * *

"We're near them." Marius told both Queen and Princess, looking back to them. "This is as far as I will go. Like I said, the druids don't like my kind."

Tanadia smiled and looked down at Victoria who closed her eyes and leaned back in the cart, relieved they were finally close to some friendly faces. "Thank you for this." The Queen said, looking over to Tehd who smiled at her the best he could, considering he was a Forsaken. "I will make sure my mother knows of your actions. You helped us get to safety and she will be eternally grateful for that."

Tehd bowed his head to the Queen. "I hope to see you up on your feet, fighting demons and saving lives, my Lady."

"Me too." Victoria said with a smile, looking over to Tanadia who was waiting beside Snow. "So where is the village exactly?"

"Just keep heading down this road and take the first left. I'd question everything if you miss it." Marius watched them begin to walk off, raising an eyebrow at Tanadia who stopped beside him. "Yes?"

The Priestess smiled at the Demon Hunter and hugged him, getting several mutterings of words she didn't understand but figured they were demonic curses. "THank you for this. I'll make sure you're repayed for your kindness."

Marius groaned and pulled Tanadia off him. "Don't mention it. Just go now before they find me."

Victoria grinned at her sister who had a little hop in her step as they followed the road. "You just couldn't help yourself, could you? You had to hug him."

"He looked like he could use one." Tanadia told her, smiling down at her sister. "He didn't apprectiate it, but the thought was there."

Victoria chuckled and nodded down the road. "Come on, let's go find those druids."

Both Queen and Princess, along with Snow who was pulling the cart Victoria had remained in, travelled down the road for a few minutes before turning left as instructed and now both smiling as they saw the druid village they were just about to walk in. "We're here..." Tanadia muttered, looking back to Victoria who smiled brightly.

"Yes we are." Victoria agreed, being pulled towards a group of nearby druids.

"Hello. How may we -" The Druids all bowed their heads to Victoria when they saw her, recognising her from the few times they had visited Stormwind. "Queen Victoria, we thought you were killed on the Broken Shore."

"Almost." Victoria told them with a smile. "I just need your help. My leg is broken and my sister has done all she can to fix it, but I just need someone with more experience." She looked over to her sister who looked down at the floor, a little embarrassed. "She tried her best, but she is still very young. I am thankful for what she has managed to do though."

"Come, follow us." One of the druids said, placing a hand on Snow's head and walking beside the nightsaber whilst they took the Queen to a nearby moonwell. "We will rest you in the well and heal you. Give it a couple days and you should be back in working order, your Grace."

Tanadia watched one of the druids leave the group and run off with haste further into the town. "Where is she going?" She asked, looking back at the druids helping Victoria into the moonwell.

"She is getting Archdruid Malfurion." One of the druids told her, lowering Victoria into the moonwell and casting a nature spell on her leg, watching as the green spell wrapped around her leg. "This should soothe whatever pain you are feeling. Once the Archdruid arrives, you will be put into his care so he can properly heal you." The druid looked down at the splint on Victoria's leg and smiled at it. "Your sister done a good job with helping your leg heal, without this splint, it may have been difficult to get it to repair properly. Especially since it's been over three days since your leg broke."

"Like I said." Victoria began, looking over to her sister and holding her hand out for her to take. "She has done everything in her power to make sure I recovered. She just couldn't get me across that line and that's okay." She smiled at her brightly when Tanadia took hold of her hand. "I am proud of her."

"Queen Victoria." Malfurion said, interrupting them. "When my druid said you were here, I almost didn't believe her. But to see you are safe with us is great news." He made his way towards her, looking down at her leg that still had the splints around it. "Do your parents know you are alive? I can't imagine what they must be going through."

"I... I don't know." Victoria told him, looking down at the water around her. "I haven't had contact with anybody since I woke up in that fiery wreckage. If it weren't for my sister and her quick thinking, we wouldn't be here." She looked over to Snow who was taken to the stables and fed almost instantly. "And neither would he..."

Malfurion looked over to Snow and smiled warmly. "We will take care of him now, don't worry. You just have to rest and recover. May Elune's light help you along the way as well as me and my druids." He placed a hand on her leg and lifted it out of the water so he could inspect it properly, nodding his head slowly when he had finished his examination that took only a couple minutes. "You will need to rest for a couple days, stay off the leg and have around the clock care from some of my druids. You will be able to stand on it if you follow my instructions."

Victoria nodded her head at the Archdruid. "I will listen to them, don't worry. I just want to get back home to my family and let them know I am okay."

"Good." Malfurion said with a smile, looking over to one of his druids. "Send word to Athrodar and Sylvanas, tell them that we have their daughter safe and secure."

"I will, Shando." The druid said, bowing their head to the Archdruid but not taking off right away. "Where will they be?" They asked, looking down at Victoria who wanted to say Windrunner Village, but she knew they would already be on the move to find her.

"I couldn't say. If I know my parents, they are already looking for me." Victoria looked up at Malfurion with an apologetic stare. "I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help."

"That's fine." Malfurion smiled at her, looking back to the messenger. "Go to Dalaran. Start there and inform those in charge that we have the Queen of Stormwind in our care if her parents aren't present."

The druid bowed his head to the Archdruid again. "I'll leave right away, Shando."

* * *

Sylvanas pulled her blade out of the back of the Fel Guard she had just slain, rolling it over with her foot to make sure it was killed and wiping the demon blood on its chest. "The fourth patrol today." She said, looking around at the five other demons they had slain. "If our daughters went through here, they must have timed it perfectly, or the Legions presence weren't as strong as it is now."

"Either way, we have to find a way to stay off the radar." Athrodar told her, looking back at the rest of their group. "The trail has also gone cold. We have no idea where they have gone from here, we just know that they camped in the cave that we passed before heading off somewhere else."

Sylvanas let out a frustrated scream, throwing her sword onto the ground and collapsing to her knees, gripping onto her hair as she hated this feeling of helplessness but knowing her husband to be correct. The trail was cold, they had no idea where Victoria and Tanadia could have gone and it was becoming difficult to find out the truth. "Just give us a break!" She yelled, looking up at the sky. "Every time we think we get close, we are further away than when we started!"

Athrodar made his way over to his wife, crouching down in front of her and waiting to see her eyes look up at him. "Hey.." He whispered, getting her attention when she didn't look up at him. "I have an idea, it's risky but we could catch on to their trail quicker if we do it."

"What is it?" She asked quietly, closing her eyes when he placed a hand on her cheek.

"We split up. Elaria and I go west, you, Thalina and Luna all go north. We're the best trackers so if we take a group each and stay hidden, we can move faster, cover more ground and hopefully pick up on their trail again." Athrodar pressed his head against his wife's, hearing her sigh to his plan. "I know it's going to suck, being away from each other, but it's the best chance we have at finding them."

Sylvanas sighed again but nodded her head against his. "Okay." She whispered, leaning forward a little more and kissing him. "We split up. You take Elaria and I take Thal and Luna." She smiled a little at him. "Should be fun, having your ex with me."

Athrodar chuckled, brushing his thumb across her cheek. "Better with you than with me. We both know she still has feelings for me and who knows what will happen if we're alone." He heard his wife gasp, chuckling some more. "Relax, I'm kidding. Besides, it means I get to spend more time with Elaria and make sure she doesn't do anything, well, Elaria-like."

Sylvanas smiled and stood up, pulling her husband up with her. "Good point."

"So what's happening?" Elaria asked, sitting on the body of a fel guard she had slain and picking her teeth with her knife. "Where are we going next?"

"We're splitting up." Athrodar said, pointing at Elaria. "You're with me, Thal and Luna are going with Sylvanas." He saw Elaria nod and caught a glimpse of Thalina's less than enthusiastic expression at the opportunity to be alone with Sylvanas. "We will cover more ground this way and hopefully find out where they are going."

"How will we know if the other group has found their trail?" Luna asked, looking at Athrodar and then Sylvanas.

"Oh!" Thalina suddenly perked up, reaching into her magically enhanced bag that was able to carry a lot more items than normal. "I have these." She said, pulling out two discs. "They allow us to communicate with one another from great distances. They only come in pairs so if you lose yours, a different communication disc won't be able to connect to this one and vice versa." She handed Athrodar one, giving the other to Sylvanas. "Keep them safe, they're the only ones I have after I picked them up in Dalaran."

Athrodar smiled at the Magister who smiled back at him. "Thank you, Thal." He looked back to Sylvanas who was inspecting the disc. "I guess this is it."

Sylvanas nodded her head slowly, fighting herself to not hug him and make a big scene but eventually caving into those desires and throwing herself at him. "Turn it on every night and tell me what you've been up to." She whispered in his ear. "I will do the same."

"Of course." Athrodar said with a smile, kissing her on the cheek as he hugged her back. "This will make it easier to find her, I promise. We will pick up her trail in no time."

"I know." Sylvanas whispered, pulling back just enough to kiss him hard on the lips, both of them parting their lips and involving their tongues in the kiss, making the other three look away when Sylvanas moaned into Athrodar's mouth. "I wished we could do more." She whispered to him, the pair of them laughing a little and pressing their heads together. "I love you."

"I love you too." Athrodar whispered back to her, wrapping his arms around her back whilst Sylvanas' went around his neck, keeping the pair of them together for as long as possible before they had to leave.

"Like the good ol' days." Elaria said when they got going, hooking an arm around Athrodar's neck and pulling him in close. "Both of us, out in the wilds again, looking for a target."

"Except these targets are my daughters and we're not killing them. Though we will kill anyone who tries to stop us." Athrodar glanced over to Elaria who grinned at what he just said. "Unless they mean to help us. I don't want a repeat of Uldum."

"Oh please... Those Wastewanders had it coming. I mean, who tries to stop two assassins from doing their jobs by offering to sleep with me?"

Athrodar rolled his eyes. "Elaria... They weren't offering to sleep with you. They wanted to give us refuge because we were going to kill one of their enemies."

"Hey, I strongly remember one of them coming onto me hard. I had had to drag him off my leg before sinking my dagger in his neck."

"He was making sure you had enough water. We were in the desert for fuck sakes." Athrodar closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, remembering that day like it was yesterday. "We had a new enemy after that, as well as the Southsea Pirates we were sent to kill."

Elaria chuckled and nodded her head. "Who thought it would be a good idea to keep us on as assassins after that?"

Athrodar nodded his head in agreement. "I had to talk to Ravenholdt alone for several hours to get him to keep us both on." He muttered, hearing Elaria laugh when she remembered that night. "He almost put a hit out on you because of that day."

"An honest mistake now that I look back at it." Elaria muttered.

"An honest mist-" Athrodar shook his head. "Pray we don't have the same circumstances whilst we're out here... I don't know if I can convince whomever we come across to keep you alive."


	33. Chapter 33

**An Old Boss**

"Why aren't we heading south?" Elaria asked, watching Athrodar decide where to go when they hit a crossroads. "It's the opposite direction to where the others are going."

"Because the Naga and several hundred Demons are to our south. And with the coast on our east, west was the only way to go that wasn't also North." Athrodar glanced back to the Night Elf who was looking around the open area they were now in. "I thought you were meant to be looking out for clues whilst I try to find a place for us to stay for the night."

Elaria looked to her left and then to her right. "There's nothing here."

"Thank you, helpful as always."

Elaria smiled at him. "You're welcome."

Athrodar sighed and looked around their nearby surroundings. "We may have to retire for the night in the trees, there doesnt' seem to be any suitable location to rest."

"Back to our roots, love it." Elaria clapped her hands together and looked around for a suitable tree. "Anywhere in particular?"

"Yes, just there." Athrodar pointed to a couple of sturdy trees. "They have enough space and height to hide in without being caught by passers by."

Climbing the tree, both Elaria and Athrodar found their respective branches and called it a night. At least the night elf did, Athrodar was using the telecommunication disc Thalina handed him and Sylvanas, smiling when he heard Sylvanas' voice. _"Hi."_ He repsonded to her similar one word sentence.

Sylvanas smiled at hearing Athrodar's voice, not realising how hard it was to go most of the day without hearing him after the went their seperate ways. _"How are you?"_ She asked, finding this whole thing to be a new experience and not knowing exactly what to say.

_"I'm good."_ Athrodar told her, looking over to Elaria who was snoring her head off after instantly falling asleep on her branch. _"I.. I have no idea what to say."_ He joked, hearing Sylvanas chuckle lightly and agree to him. _"It's easier to talk to you in person."_

Sylvanas nodded her head, not realising Athrodar couldn't see the action._ "It is, my love."_ She said softly, looking back at Luna and Thalina who were sleeping at the back of the cave whilst she stood at the entrance, looking out at the two moons in the sky above them. _"I know it's not been a day yet, but I miss you."_

Athrodar smile grew wide on his face, pressing his head against the disc and whispering into it. _"I miss you too, my Queen." _He pulled back and looked down at the disc, noticing a button of some sort that he hadn't pressed and pressing it to see what it done.

Sylvanas' eyes widened in surprise when she saw an image of Athrodar flash up on this disc in her hand, moving her hand through it and watching as the image shimmied and flashed. _"What did you do? I can see you now."_

_"I pressed a button on the disc. Wait, you can see me?"_ Sylvanas looked down at the disc and pressed the button too, having an image of her flash up on the disc in Athrodar's hand. _"There you_ _are..." _He muttered, smiling at his Queen who then smiled at him. _"Even when you're an image on this disc, you're still the most beautiful woman I have ever met."_

Sylvanas' smile turned shy, looking away from the image of Athrodar. _"And you're still just as charming as ever, my love."_ She whispered to him, trying to not wake up the other two. _"I think we're getting close to picking up a trail."_ She told him, seeing his eyebrow raise curiously. _"We found some of Snow's fur. I don't know if it was wind bringing it here, or they actually moved north, but it's a sign. I'm hoping we find more the further north we go."_

_"I hope you do too."_ Athrodar agreed, watching her look back at the two women sleeping behind her. _"We should probably get some sleep. Are you going to be okay on your own?"_

Sylvanas knew why he asked, smiling at his worry. _"No, but I will try. I won't have your arms around me and I can't hear your heart so it won't lull me to sleep, but I will be thinking of you, so I suppose there's that. I love you."_

Athrodar gave her a loving smile. _"I love you too.__" _He whispered back to her, hearing Sylvanas blow him a kiss before turning off her disc, doing the same shortly after and closing his eyes.

* * *

Tanadia walked around the Grove of Cenarius, the small druid village they had come to for help, and began to watch some of the teachings going on today. "Interesting..." She muttered, watching a group of druids use the nature around them to enhance their abilities.

"Tyrande might be willing to help train you." Malfurion said softly, sneaking up on the young priestess. "She knows more about the light than any of us here can ever understand. I will speak to her about it someday soon, when this Legion business is all over."

"I would love that!" Tanadia said with excitement. "Learning about Elune and how her blessing is passed to those she deems most fit to serve her."

Malfurion smiled at her excitement. "I'll tell her when I next see her." He looked back to one of the huts Victoria had been given and told to stay in. "Let me go check on your sister, the Queen should be waking up about now."

Victoria looked around the hut she was staying in, smiling at the many flowers and plants located around the room. "This place is so beautiful." She commented, looking over to the druid who was examining her and making her smile, feeling a heat in her heart as she had a small thing for Night Elves, especially the women. "Made more so when I have such lovely company." She whispered, making the druid smile shyly and lower her head to hide her blush.

"Distracting my students, my Lady?" Malfurion asked, moving out the way for the druid who quickly left the room, bowing her head to the Archdruid and apologising to him. "We recieved word from Dalaran, the messenger returned this morning. Your parents were in the city, but left the day you arrived and are somewhere in Azsuna. Also.." Malfurion sat at the foot of Victoria's bed, slowly placing a hand on her leg and patting it gently, making the Queen feel nervous as if she was about to be given bad news.

Unfortunately, she was.

"Your parents were on the Broken Shore a day after your crash. They went to the wreckage to look for you and found all of your guards, piled up and burnt." Malfurion saw the Queen's eyes widen as she was taken back by what he had just said, still needing to tell her the worst part of the news. "All their heads were on pikes just ouside the wreckage, with your General's in the centre."

"No..." Victoria muttered, her eyes watering as her chest tightened. She feared this sort of news, but to be told she was butchered had shattered her heart. "She... Sera... She's dead?"

"From what Khadgar has told us, yes." Malfurion gave the Queen a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry, Lady Windrunner. I will give you some time to grieve, I know this must be difficult for you."

Once alone, Victoria rolled onto her side and stared at the wall, pulling one of her pillows into her embrace and hugging it tightly as she began to cry to herself. "Sera..." She whispered, holding onto the pillow just a little tighter. "I'm so sorry, you deserved better." Victoria sniffed and tried to hold herself together, but ultimately let her heart pour out into the pillow as a wave of emotions just crashed over her. "I didn't even get to say goodbye!" She cried into her pillow, letting whatever was left of her makeup run onto the pillow as she curled up into a ball.

Tanadia looked over to the stables where she saw Snow began to make his way towards the hut Victoria was in, tilting her head and frowning as it seemed a little odd considering he had been asleep for most of the day, but suddenly woke up when Malfurion left her sister. "Interesting..." She muttered, following Snow into the hut shortly after the Nightsaber had entered it and looked down at Victoria. "Vic..." She muttered, making her way over to her sister and climbing into the bed with her, having the Queen roll over to face her and burying her head into her shoulder as she used her as an outlet for her tears now. "What happened? What did Malfurion say?"

"Sera's gone!" Victoria cried into her shoulder, wrapping her arms around her younger sister tightly and holding herself against the priestess who began to rub her back with her hands that she coated in holy magic. "Broken Shore... The d-demons." She hiccupped, shaking her head as she didn't want to repeat the story. "Head... Spike."

Tanadia understood what was said, holding onto her sister and Queen tightly to calm her down, shushing her whilst rubbing her back with her hands bathed in the holy light. "She saved us." The priestess whispered to her, closing her eyes to keep her own emotions at bay. "She fought until her last breath to make sure we escaped." She planted a kiss on her sister's temple and hugged her tightly. "And we escaped."

"I..." Victoria sniffed, closing her eyes as she found comfort in her sister's arms. "It's strange... I miss her more now than I did when I thought she was still alive."

"So do I." Tanadia whispered to her, always loving Sera like a sister after spending the last few years around her and Victoria. "I miss the way she always made you smile, Vic. I don't like seeing you upset."

Victoria smiled for a split second when Snow rest his head on her leg, petting him with one hand whilst her other remained wrapped around her sister, keeping her eyes closed as she just wanted to sleep off this bad news. "Our parents left Dalaran before the messenger could get to them. They're in Aszuna where we met Marius and Tehd, so they're close."

Tanadia smiled and rubbed her sister's back. "They will find us, I'm sure of it."

* * *

"I haven't had the chance to meet the newest members of your family, how cute is she?"

Sylvanas smiled at the question, pulling out a picture of her daughter Cedani and showing it to Thalina. "You tell me. Both Athrodar and I love her the most."

"I can see why." Thalina said softly, smiling at the picture of Cedani. "She reminds me of Tanadia a little, more so than your other two. There's something about her..."

Sylvanas smiled a little wider and tilted her head at the picture in Thalina's hands. "I'm glad you said that, because I don't see her being a ranger like Athrodar and I, like Tahnir wants to be or his sister Alleria will most likely be." She took the picture back off the Magister and held onto it, looking at her baby daughter. "I think she will be a magic user. A mage or a priestess."

Thalina didn't know why, but she offered Sylvanas something she thought she would never have offered. "If she shows signs of being a mage, I would love to be her mentor."

That got a raised eyebrow from both Sylvanas and Luna who overheard the offer. "Really?" Sylvanas asked, tilting her head a little at the Magister. "You would do that?"

"Yes, really?" Luna asked, still surprised the Magister had offered that.

"Y-yes." Thalina stammered, smiling up at Sylvanas. "It's the least I can do, especially for looking after my daughter when she visisted, allowed us to stay in Stormwind and now helping me find her along with Victoria."

"Of course, our daughters are the future." Sylvanas smiled down at the Magister, all three of them walking north along their current road. "They will both build Stormwind into something amazing. Victoria as Queen and Tanadia as her closest advisor and leader of the Cathedral District."

"Except Liadrin is the Highlord of Stormwind and runs the Cathedral District." Thalina told her. "My daughter is still young, not even in her second decade."

"She will get there, believe me." Sylvanas looked forward and down the path they were on, narrowing her eyes at something in the far distance. "We're not alone." She muttered, slowly reaching for her bow strapped across her back. "In the distance, there is movement."

"What is it?" Luna asked, narrowing her eyes to try and find what Sylvanas was looking at.

Sylvanas pulled out her bow and reached for an arrow in her quiver. "Demons."

* * *

Elaria bit the nail on her thumb, walking slightly behind Athrodar whilst the two of them continued to head west. "Are we being followed?" She asked, looking around the open field they were walking through. "The hairs on the back of my neck are sticking up."

"You don't have hairs on the back of your neck." Athrodar told her, glancing over his shoulder and towards the Night Elf. "I should know, you tell me constantly that you have no hair on your body besides the top of your head."

Elaria grinned and looked down at her thumb, inspecting her nail. "That is true... But I do feel like we are being followed."

"That's because you are..." A voice echoed nearby, making both Elaria and Athrodar look around for the source of it, the latter frowning when he thought it sounded familiar.

"Ravenholdt?" Athrodar asked, watching their old boss step out of the shadows.

"My two favourite assassins." Ravenholdt said, grinning at the two elves. "Though one is a former King and the other is... well, an infamous pervert."

"Ooo... I'm infamous?" Elaria asked, smirking at the idea.

Athrodar raised an eyebrow at the Night Elf. "That's what you took from that?"

"Oh please, we both know I'm a pervert." Elaria told him, looking over to Ravenholdt. "So why are you here? Doing your own jobs now?"

"Not exactly, no." Ravenholdt turned his attention to Athrodar, knowing he was easier to talk to than Elaria who would joke about almost anything that was said. "The Legion are threatening to destroy this world, as you know. So as a way to combat this, I have gathered the best rogues, assassins and outlaws from all four corners of Azeroth to meet in the underbelly of Dalaran." He folded his arms and looked Athrodar up and down. "Almost all of them. There are two missing."

Elaria nodded her head slowly. "Okay, okay... What do we get out of this?"

"A chance to play a key part in this war." Ravenholdt tempted the Night Elf, stepping a little closer to her. "I need an assassin to lead the others, to plan key points of interest for us to attack and to kill important figures in the Burning Legion."

Athrodar snorted when Ravenholdt kept his gaze on Elaria. "Yes, because who doesn't want to have Elaria leading an entire army of assassins."

The Night Elf gasped at him. "That's a little rude. I reckon I would do a good job leading them."

Athrodar saw the determination in Elaria's eyes, sighing and dropping his shoulders a little. "Fine... We will come with you, just to see what this is all about. But I am not staying, or helping. I have to find my daughter."

"You can do that with our help." Ravenholdt told him, smirking at Athrodar. "The offer is there, but I think you will change your mind when you see our resources."

"We'll see." Athrodar muttered, following Ravenholdt along with Elaria.

* * *

"Hold still." Luna said, sighing when Sylvanas pulled her arm away. "Stop being such a baby."

"I'm not!" Sylvanas hissed, pulling her arm away from Luna when she held onto it again. "Just leave me alone, it's only a cut."

Thalina smiled when Sylvanas began to squirm the second Luna took hold of her arm again in a vice grip, trying to escape from the Draenei who seemed to be stronger than she looked. "If it's only a cut, let her look at it."

"Don't get involved, Dawnstrider." Sylvanas said through gritted teeth, giving up on the chance of escaping the Draenei's clutches. "You're not making things any better."

"No, but it is fun to watch you squirm under her touch." Thalina smiled when Sylvanas began to struggle once again. "Just let her heal you."

"You're as bad as Athrodar." Luna muttered, making Sylvanas stop fighting. "You both think you're indestrucible and can't be killed, yet when you get injured, you both fight off the healers until your other half is with you."

Sylvanas pouted and sat down on a nearby boulder and let Luna heal her. "Fine... And I'm not like that."

Thalina snorted then began to laugh. "Sure you're not."

"Hey, I'm not!" Sylvanas yelled at Thalina who continued to laugh. "At least, I wasn't before Athrodar entered my life..." She began to smile a little too, looking down at the ring on her finger and missing her husband after only being away from him for a day. "We've been so close the last few years that I may have picked up a few things from him."

"Like being a baby when it comes to someone touching a fresh wound you've obtained?" Luna asked her, smiling at the elf when she glared up at her. "Do you really want to say something negative towards me whilst I'm holding your arm?"

Sylvanas looked away, hating that she was put in a position where she wasn't the strongest here. "No..." She muttered.

Thalina continued to smile, looking around their surroundings and passed the slain demons in front of them. "They must have been heading south, so I can only presume the further north we go, the more demons we will come across."

"Or there's a camp or portal nearby." Sylvanas said, watching Luna heal her arm. "Which means if we can make it passed that, we will be in the clear to head north some more and hopefully into less hostile territory."

"And closer to our daughters?" Thalina asked, looking down at Sylvanas.

"Yes." She said softly, nodding her head at the Magister. "We will find them soon, hold them in our arms and comfort them should they need it."

Thalina's smile widened a little at the thought of holding her daughter again soon. "I would love that. It's been almost a week and it feels like a lifetime since I held her."

Sylvanas saw her smile and matched it, thinking back to the last time she hugged Victoria, just a little longer than when Thalina hugged Tanadia. "Me too."

* * *

Malfurion walked into the small house that held the Queen and Princess, smiling at Victoria who was now watching her sister sleep. "How are you feeling?" The Archdruid asked.

"About as well as someone can feel after being told the woman they love is dead. Butchered by the enemy, burnt and had her head stuck on a spike with the rest of her guard." Victoria looked over to Malfurion who looked pained to have heard it put so brutally. "Other than that, I am just fine." She said with a hint of anger, though they both know it had nothing to do with his question.

"And your leg?" Malfurion asked, sitting down on a nearby chair and looking at the Queen.

"I think it's getting better." The Queen muttered, looking down at her leg. "I guess I wouldn't know until I can put some weight onto it."

Malfurion smiled and nodded. "Not that you will put much weight onto it."

Victoria now smiled, looking at the Archdruid. "Are you flirting with me, Archdruid? So shortly after telling me my General and lover was killed?"

Malfurion chuckled along with the Queen, shaking his head. "Of course not." He stood up and looked down at the Queen who went back to looking at her sister. "I'll send a couple of my druids by soon. They will assess your leg and give me a better detailed report than 'I think it's getting better'."

Victoria watched the Archdruid begin to leave, calling for him just before he closed the door. "What do you think about Demon Hunters?" She asked, getting a frown from the Archdruid.

"That they are a means to an end." Malfurion said in a cold voice, gazing into the distance as if thinking about something. "Why?" He asked, when his gaze returned to the Queen.

"No reason. We had an Illidari help us find this place, but he left us about ten minutes away from here." Victoria looked up at the Archdruid who looked distant again. "I know your brother started them, I just wanted to know why."

Malfurion looked back at the Queen for the final time. "He did and I stand by keeping these _Illidari_ away from my people. They corrupted the Well of Eternity and fractured the world. Their leader, my _brother_, have done nothing but cause destruction to his own people. When he was banished to the Outland, I didn't care, he was far from us and he couldn't do more damage. Now that I know his Demon Hunters are back home, I fear for what they will do to the world."

Victoria watched the Archdruid leave before she could respond to him, frowning at what he had said and trying to compare it to the Demon Hunter who had helped them. "It doesn't sound like him at all. He was moody, but he helped and was trying to kill agents of the Burning Legion." She shrugged her shoulders and looked back at her sister who was sleeping peacefully in her bed. "I'm sure we will see in the near future how useful or destructive the Demon Hunters can be,"


	34. Chapter 34

**Corrupted**

Athrodar followed Lord Ravenholdt into one of the many shops in Dalaran, watching him show a coin to the shopkeeper and then whisper a few things to them before having a passageway open to what appeared to be a secret room. "Follow me."

"Ooo, a secret room. Fun." Elaria grinned and followed Lord Ravenholdt into the back room.

Athrodar followed Elaria shortly after, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious whilst the Night Elf in front of him was excited. "Who exactly have you gathered for this meeting?" He asked Lord Ravenholdt, making the human stop to address his question.

"Valeera, Marin Noggenfogger, Mathias Shaw, a Pandaren named Taoshi... I haven't seen her work but I was told to ask her to come. Fleet Admiral Tethys and you two." Lord Ravenholdt looked over to Elaria who had a grin on her face. "Leave Valeera alone, or I will ask Marin to give you some of his Elixer. I know how much you hate it."

Elaria shivered thinking about the Elixer. The taste was bad enough, but to have some side effects that she didn't like along with it was worse. "I don't want that... The last time I was a skeleton for hours."

"It was ten minutes." Athrodar told her. "And you secretly loved it. Especially when you used it one Hallow's End to scare some kids."

Ravenholdt laughed and began to walk further down the narrow corridor they were in. "Sounds like her." He said before pushing open a door into their new base of operations. "Welcome to the Hall of Shadows."

"Woah..." Elaria breathed, looking around at the many people walking back and forth, carrying vials of poisons in boxes, or parchments from one place to another. Many knives, daggers, swords and bows placed around the nearby surroundings. "This is so cool."

"Like an underground secret lair." Athrodar commented, following Lord Ravenholdt to a different room where the names he had spoken of earlier had convened. "Valeera." He said with a smirk, slowly placing a hand on the hilt of his sword. "I haven't forgotten when we were last in this city."

"You're not a Death Knight now, Athrodar." Valeera said, standing up from the chair she sat in and making her way over to him, standing directly in front of the taller elf and looking up at him with a cocky grin. "I reckon I could take you in a fight."

"Is that so?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at her. "Want to put that to the test?"

"Enough, you two." Ravenholdt commanded, standing at the head of the table. "We're not here to settle petty rivalries. There are bigger things to worry about."

"And I thought I would have been the problem child." Elaria whispered to Athrodar, chuckling shortly after when he sighed. "If you want, I can take her mind off everything for a good ten or so minutes. Once this meeting is over."

"That sounds more like a treat for you than a punishment for her." Athrodar told her as they all sat down around the large table in the room.

"Yeah, so?" Elaria grinned at him. "Come on... You know I know her weaknesses."

"I know, which is why I'm not saying anything." Athrodar glanced over to the Night Elf who sat on his left. "We need to find my daughters, not sleep with potential allies who can help us find them."

Elaria pouted and folded her arms. "Fine... But just so you know, the second I see an opportunity, I am taking her." She began to grin again after looking over to Valeera and watching her look away from her. "She knows I am hungry and what I can do."

Athrodar rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Why do you always talk as if you're going to eat them?"

"I'm going to be doing a lot more than just eating her." Elaria said, smirking at Athrodar. "If you know what -"

"Yes, I know what you mean."

* * *

"Put some weight onto it." Tanadia said, sitting on her sister's bed and watching intently as Victoria slowly began to stand up.

"Okay... Here we go." Victoria took a deep breath, closed her eyes and held onto her sister's hand as she began to stand up slowly.

Tanadia stood up at the same time her sister stood up, holding onto her hand and smiling brightly when Victoria remained standing on both legs. "How do you feel?" She asked, looking down at her visibly weaker leg.

"I can stand, but I don't want to try walking on it just yet." Victoria looked over to her sister who smiled warmly at her. "You want me to walk on it, don't you?"

"I'll be with you every step of the way... Literally." Tanadia smiled at her again, holding onto her arm now to help keep her balance. "When you're ready. I will be here to help you and heal you should you need it."

Victoria took a step forward, smiling and taking another when she began to grow confidence in walking again. "So far so goo-ah!"

Tanadia let go of Victoria's arm the second she fell to the floor, engulfing her hands in holy magic and placing them on her leg. "Two steps is better than none." She told her sister, looking at her face and seeing a couple of tears roll down her cheek at both the pain of her leg and just how fragile she was at losing her entire guard and her General. "We have a long road to recovery, luckily your leg isn't entirely weak but it's not as strong as it was."

"Then why did it buckle and make me collapse to the floor?" Victoria asked, leaning her head back against the mattress of the bed behind her and gritting her teeth as her leg began to throb. "I thought it had healed."

"I'll go get the Archdruid." Tanadia said, stepping over her sister and making her way out of the hut to find Malfurion. On her way to where the Archdruid spent most of his time, she saw several druids run passed her in a hurried manner, frowning at them but continuing her journey to the Archdruid. "What's going on?" She asked when she saw a couple of druids standing nearby, talking to each other in a heated conversation.

"You and the Queen have to leave, now!" One of the druids told her, spinning the priestess around and marching her back to the hut. "It's no longer safe here, a darkness has been creeping in the forests and is threatening to consume us all."

"B-but my sister isn't ready to leave yet, she can barely stand let alone walk." Tanadia tried to talk some sense into the druid pushing her towards the hut her sister was staying in, but all of her talking fell on deaf ears as the pushed her into the hut.

"Get your things, I will have someone bring your Nightsaber and the cart you arrived in. Head north and run if you come across anyone. There are Tauren living to the north, they will look after you now." The druid picked up their weapons and threw them on the bed, watching Tanadia pick up her sister. "Don't stop until you are out of this forest and into the territory known as Highmountain."

"Wh-what's going on?" Victoria asked, being picked up by the druid and carried to the cart outside the stables, placing the Queen down in it and attaching the cart to Snow's reins. "Tana, talk to me."

"I don't know, Vic." Tanadia said, picking up her staff from the cart and climbing onto Snow's back, looking behind her and towards her sister. "They just told me a darkness is spreading and we have to leave." Tanadia looked over to the druid who began to follow the other druids who ran towards where Malfurion spent most of his days. "We're heading north."

"North? But our parents... They won't know where we are if we leave!" Victoria tried to sit up, but Tanadia kicked Snow into action and they began to make their way out of the Grove of Cenarius. "Tana!"

"We have to leave!" Tanadia yelled back at her, hating that she was raising her voice at her sister, but following the druid's commands as she saw chaos begin to spread around them. "We are to head north towards the Tauren who inhabit a place called Highmountain."

"How do we know we're not running into whatever has these druids spooked?" Victoria asked, holding onto the cart tightly as Snow began to run through the forests, being steered by Tanadia.

"We don't." Tanadia told her, petting Snow with her holy magic engulfed hand to keep him calm as they raced through the forests of Val'sharah. "Come on boy, we need to get to safety again. We will find a place to stay when we're out of the forest."

* * *

_"So you and Elaria are back in Dalaran with your old Assassin's guild boss and several other rogues, assassins and cut throats?"_

Athrodar smiled and nodded his head, looking over to Elaria who slept on the bed beside him, at least that's what Athrodar guessed was happening as she had remained silent. _"I know, it's a step back from where we were, but Lord Ravenholdt is trying to recruit us into the fold and in return, we get to use their spy network to track down and find Victoria and Tanadia."_

Sylvanas raised an eyebrow at the image of Athrodar, smiling at the prospect of having an entire network of rogues looking for their daughter with them. _"You know that I am going to tell you to get their help, right? We will need the numbers if we can't find them on our own."_

"Is that Sylvanas?" Elaria asked, taking the communication disc off Athrodar and grinning at the image of Sylvanas. "Why hello there."

Sylvanas rolled her eyes at the image of Elaria that now took over her disc. "Hi Elaria, what do you want?"

"D'aww, is that any way to treat such a loving friend?" Elaria smiled sweetly at Sylvanas, trying to win her over and seduce her at the same time. "You know, I've always thought we had a special connection."

"Uhuh..." Sylvanas grumbled, rolling her eyes again. "Put Athrodar back on."

"Why, so you can both discuss super secret stuff in your native tongue so I can't understand it?" Elaria pouted at the image of Sylvanas when she agreed to everything she just said. "Boo. One day I will learn your broken language."

"It's only broken because we use the same words for some things." Athrodar told her, taking the disc back from Elaria and smiling at his wife. _"Sorry. I'll try to make it difficult for her to do that again."_

Sylvanas just smiled and shook her head. _"It's fine. Cute that she thinks she has a shot at claiming me, little does she know I will rock her world.__"_

Athrodar blinked slowly whilst his wife giggled at her last sentence. _"Am I in a dream or something? You're talking about sleeping with another woman to your husband... Wait no, this has to be a nightmare, because that woman is Elaria.__"_

_"Oh hush, like you haven't thought about getting in her pants before."_

Athrodar went red in the cheeks a little. _"I... I may have, once... But she is like a sister to me now, it would be weird."_

_"Okay, okay." _Sylvanas held her hands up, smiling at her husband. _"I won't force you to sleep with her... But I most certainly will want to in the future... Maybe bring Luna in to make it a very hot, sweaty, women only threesome.__"_

Athrodar groaned, hearing Sylvanas chuckle back to him._ "Why... Why do you torture me so? You know I would love to be in the middle of that.__"_

_"I know." _Sylvanas whispered with a grin, biting her bottom lip just thinking about it. _"You just have to convince yourself to have Elaria with us."_

Athrodar looked back to Elaria who went back to laying on her bed, whimpering and looking back at the image of his wife. _"She doesn't like men that way. It's the only reason I haven't tried something with her.__"_

_"The only reason?" _Sylvanas teased, winking at the image of Athrodar who groaned at her teasing. _"I miss you." _She told him when he looked at her again.

_"I don't know if I can say the same. I forgot how much you can really get me going, only to blue balls me for the fun of it.__"_

Sylvanas chuckled. _"I'm sorry, baby." _She purred in a seductive voice. _"Maybe I can make it up to you."_

"No communication disc sex." Thalina said nearby, loud enough so Athrodar could hear and thus Elaria behind him. "They're used to keep up to date with the other group, not for your personal time."

"Really?" Elaria asked, standing behind Athrodar and looking at the image of a now embarrassed Sylvanas. "You would do that whilst I'm in the same room?" She punched Athrodar on the arm. "Come on man, have some boundaries, please!"

Sylvanas and Athrodar both gave each other an apologetic look, both hating that they were caught in a semi innocent chat. _"We should stop this before it happens again." _Sylvanas whispered, getting an agreement from Athrodar. _"I love you."_

Athrodar smiled at his wife, hating that he hasn't held her in two days now, but at least having a conversation with her on the daily makes up for it, even if only a little. _"I love you too." _He whispered back to her, both of them closing communications for the night. "Don't say it. Don't you even dare say it."

Elaria grinned when Athrodar pulled his bedsheets up and over him, up to his neck. "Really? You were about to have sex over that communication device, thing? How is that even possible?"

Athrodar let out a long sigh. "We weren't going to... You know what, why am I even having this conversation?" He sat up and looked at Elaria who stood over him, hands on her hips and with a cocky grin painted on her face. "Nothing was happening, nothing remotely close to that. Thal was just saying that so we would stop talking to each other because she is jealous."

"Uhuh..." Elaria continued to grin at him, not believing that for a second. "Is that why you both said my name and Luna's name?"

Athrodar groaned and laid back down, pulling his bedsheets over his head. "Goodnight, Elaria."

The Night Elf chuckled and retired to her bed beside him. "Goodnight, Athrodar. Don't try anything on me whilst I'm sleeping."

"Oh, fuck off." Athrodar muttered, making Elaria chuckle some more as the both drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Tanadia climbed off Snow's back and looked around the dense forest they were in. "This place... It's sick." She whispered, looking at the now red and black trees, hearing the very forest groan as the darkness surrounded them. "This sickness is dark, like a corruption."

Victoria looked around the trees and came to the same conclusion. They were no longer in druid territory and she knew it, there was no life here, only sickness and one that was heavy on the heart. "We need to leave, Tana." The Queen whispered to her. "Whatever done this is near. This corruption is.. it's tainted the land."

Tanadia pet Snow gently when he began to fidget, knowing whatever this corruption was, was affecting him too. "It's okay, boy. We'll get moving again very soon. We just need to rest and have some water."

Victoria watched Tanadia take the harness of Snow and let him run around a little whilst she took a drink from her water pouch. "Hand me mine."

Tanadia handed Victoria her water pouch, looking around to look at Snow and not finding him in their immediate surroundings. "Snow?"

Victoria sat up to look for Snow too. "Snow?" She yelled too, not finding him either. "Snow! It's not funny, your mother is worried."

Both Queen and Princess looked around for the nightsaber, Tanadia falling back towards Victoria when the darkness began to creep in around them. "Snow!" The priestess yelled, holding onto her staff tightly when a pair of eyes glared at them through the trees. "Snow..?" She now asked quietly, stepping forward a little and hearing the eyes growl at her. "Snow? It's me, Tana... We're family."

Victoria looked over to the pair of eyes too, reaching for her bow and quiver as the eyes began to move closer. "Snow, it's us." She said when the nightsaber crept out of the trees, eyes full of anger and something else, something that neither of them saw in his eyes before. Hate. "Snow, it's me.. It's your mother." She said softly, stroking the fletching of one of her arrows, not wanting to use the arrow but knowing she had to if he attacked.

"What's wrong with him?" Tanadia asked, keeping her eyes on Snow. "He looks... rabid?"

"Snow!" Victoria yelled at him, hearing him growl as he got low, ready to pounce and the Queen knew it. "Tanadia, get back!"

Tanadia looked back to Victoria just as Snow pounced on her, being knocked over by the giant cat and screaming as his jaw clamped down on her staff. "Snow, please! It's me, Tanadia!"

Victoria swallowed hard and dug deep to find the courage to attack her Snow... Her best friend. "Snow.. Let go." She said calmly, pulling the arrow back on her bow and aiming at the nightsaber. "Snow..." She said, her voice wavering a little as she didn't want to fire an arrow at him, but she had to get him off Tanadia. "Let.. Go!" She snapped, pulling the bowstring back a little more and locking eyes with Snow. "Don't..." She muttered.

Tanadia fought hard to keep his jaw from clamping down on her, kneeing the nightsaber in the belly and rolling him off her with all her strength. "Snow, stop it!" She cried, pulling herself up with her staff and conjuring a ball of light in her hand. "We're family!"

Just as Snow was about to attack Tanadia again, Victoria let loose the arrow into Snow's leg and gave her sister the opening she needed to escape his attack. "Snow, I'm.. I'm so sorry.." Victoria's heart began to break when she drew another arrow back in her bow, her bottom lip quivering when she saw pain in his eyes now and some confusion, though it was all masked by his anger and hatred for them and everything now. "Run, Tana. Get behind me."

Tanadia ran to the cart and stood behind Victoria who was aiming her bow at Snow again, holding onto her staff tightly. "Vic.. What are we going to do?"

Before she could answer, Snow pounced at them again, even with the arrow in his leg and was shot by another one, this time in his belly and making him collapse just in front of them, panting hard on the floor. "Snow..?" Victoria whispered, looking over the side and down at the nightsaber who now looked scared. "Snow.. I'm so sorry..." She reached out and placed her hand on his head gently, hearing him groan and watching him look up at her with the one eye that could see her, her heart breaking once more as she saw how terrified he looked. "I'm so sorry, Snow..." She muttered, her voice breaking as tears began to roll down her face. "I wanted us to grow old... You weren't supposed to die here."

Tanadia ran around and began to heal the nightsaber. At least she tried to, knowing she was not experienced enough to heal these injuries, but still tried. "Snow.. I forgive you." She whispered, kissing him on the head as she felt his life slipping away. "We should have gone south, coming north was a mistake. You fell into this corruption and I'm so sorry."

Victoria climbed out of the cart and sat down beside Snow, stroking his head before resting her own on his, hugging him tightly. "I love you, Snow." She whispered to him, kissing his head and hearing his heart slow down, as well as his breathing. "I love you..." She choked, crying into his fur when his belly stopped rising and his eyes glazed over. "I love you..." She repeated, screaming into his fur when someone else she loved had died within the same week.


	35. Chapter 35

**Parting Ways**

Sylvanas looked over to the forest on the other side of the lake she stood beside, frowning at something that was burning in the back of her mind, a small voice telling her they went through there. "This way." She said, looking back to Thalina and Luna. "They went into this forest."

"How do you know?" Luna asked, looking down at the lake in front of them. "And is there a way to get across without getting wet?"

"She's my daughter." Sylvanas said with a smile of certainty, looking back at the forests of Val'sharah. "She knows the forest would play to her strengths."

Thalina looked at the forests of Val'sharah and hugged herself. "This place doesn't look healthy." She muttered, looking back to Sylvanas and Luna. "There is something dark happening in this forest. The trees are seeping with dark magic and I don't know what it is... I can almost taste the corruption."

Luna nodded her head in agreement. "I have never seen a forest like this. Are we sure they went into there?"

"No." Sylvanas said honestly, pulling on the bowstring across her chest. "But it's north and where I would have gone to get away from the demons to our south."

Thalina sighed, waving her hand at the river and freezing a path towards the other side of it. "Looks like we're going into the dark, scary woods."

Sylvanas grinned and followed Thalina and Luna across the river, placing her hands on the Magister's shoulders and growing a dark grin on her face. "Beware of the worgen that lurk here... They eat small elves when they're left alone."

"Is that wise, telling her that?" Luna asked. "We're trying to find your daughters who could be alone in these woods with those worgen."

Sylvanas let go of Thalina's shoulders, looking down at the forest floor below them. "Sorry... It was meant to be for a joke. If it means anything, Athrodar and I practically exterminated them."

"Yes, that makes me feel so much better." Thalina muttered. "Knowing that my daughter spent time with her dad and step-mother, two elves who have exterminated an entire race."

"In our defence, they did try to kidnap our daughter." Sylvanas told her.

"I'm not arguing, I think I would have done the same if I was in that situation." Thalina looked over to Sylvanas who was watching her intently, growing a smile and making the taller elf smile down at her. "Let's just find our daughters and head home, at least for a while until we know they are okay."

"Sounds like a good plan." Luna said, standing on the outskirts of Val'sharah forest. "I look forward to returning home."

* * *

Athrodar looked at each of the faces around the table they sat at, focusing on Lord Ravenholdt who sat at the head of the table and getting a feeling of nostalgia as he was brought back to his time as an assassin. "Thank you all for coming here." Ravenholdt said, standing up from his chair and looking around the table this time. "You are all here because I believe you all can play a key part in taking out important figures of the Legion in a manner which will both stun and surprise our enemy with how quickly and quietly we can dispatch of them."

"I take it there's more?" Valeera asked, looking over to Shaw who nodded his head in agreement to her question. "You called us away from Theramore to be more than just assassins, I hope."

"Of course." Ravenholdt said, smirking at the blood elf. "You are also here because we will need someone to take charge of us, all of us. To find key targets to take out, powerful artifacts for us to wield and to play a key part in fighting alongside the best of what this planet has to offer."

"Count me out." Athrodar said as soon as Ravenholdt had finished. "I came here hoping I could get some sort of help with finding my daughters. I don't wish to be a leader of assassins, rogues, cut throats and whatever else we have here. I have no need to fight the Legion to the end."

"And what do you want?" Valeera asked. "You won't fight the Legion who killed Varian, Tirion. Your daughter's General and her guard."

"Varian and Tirion are dead?" Athrodar asked, sitting forward and widening his eyes at Valeera.

"You didn't know?" Ravenholdt responded with his own question, watching Athrodar shake his head. "Tirion was tortured in felfire and Varian sacrificed himself to save Jaina and several soldiers, both Alliance and Horde." Ravenholdt frowned at Athrodar who now began to get lost in deep thought. "Now do you want to fight the Legion? Knowing they have killed two noble and powerful warriors?"

"I..." Athrodar closed his eyes and shook his head. "No. I have retired from fighting, I just want to spend time with my family now. I will fight who ever stands in my way to get to them, but once I have my family back, I have no desire to continue this fight."

Elaria, who had remained silent the entire time since she woke up, let alone this meeting, shook her head at Athrodar who she sat opposite from. "You won't even fight the Legion to avenge the death of my sister?" She asked, looking up at him with a slight glare. "They butchered her, burnt her body and stuck her hide on a spike for the felbats to feed off. And you're telling me you don't want to kill every fucking demon on this fucking planet until they are all DEAD!?"

Athrodar flinched at Elaria's roar of anger, keeping his head low when he felt her continue to glare a hole into his head. "I..."

"You what? You dare try to tell me you aren't going to fight the Legion because you want to be with your family, because I swear to whatever Gods are listening, I will cut out your tongue right here."

Athrodar looked up at Elaria who continued to glare at him, waiting for his response. "Elaria... This isn't the life I want any more. You would be far better off here than back home, I know it. You know it. But we also both know that I have a family back home, three children waiting for their parents to return with their two older sisters." He sighed and lowered his gaze from her. "I understand if you're angry at me, but I have other responsibilities."

Elaria scoffed and looked away from him. "Fine... Then I guess this is where we will part ways."

"Elaria..."

"No, you've made your mind up. I am staying here where I can do some real damage to the Legion." Elaria looked over to Lord Ravenholdt who nodded at her. "I hope you find your daughters, but I won't be there to help you."

The rest of the meeting went on without Athrodar speaking, or listening for that matter. He had never seen Elaria so angry with him, even after everything they had been through, the two of them had never been angry with one another. But this was something else. He could see Elaria was angry not only with him and his defiance to help her get revenge, but also with everything and every one. He had never seen her so blood thirsty, not even as assassins or during the war in Northrend. She couldn't even look at him, especially after he denied helping her and that was what had stung him the most.

As the meeting had come to a close, Athrodar watched the Night Elf leave the room before anyone else and went to go after her, only to be stopped by a buzzing sound coming from his pocket, taking out the Comm. Disc and pressing the two buttons to both answer the buzzing and to bring up a picture of whomever was trying to get in contact with him. _"Now's not a good time."_

Sylvanas frowned at the obviously distraught Athrodar, watching his gaze not even focus on her as he looked off into the distance. _"What happened? What's wrong?"_ She asked, hearing him sigh and watching him now shake his head.

_"Elaria has left the company. She wants to join them all here in fighting the Legion over finding our daughters."_ Athrodar looked at the image of Sylvanas who had now raised an eyebrow at him. "_She hates me, Sylv. She asked me to join her in fighting the Legion with the rest of the assassins here and I told her I couldn't. Not whilst our daughter was still out there."_

"_I'm sure she doesn't hate you."_ Sylvanas told him softly and with a warm smile._ "She has only recently lost her sister, she wants to take it out on the Legion and I can't blame her. But we also have to find our daughter and Thal's daughter, she knows that and she won't hold that against you once this red mist has died down._" She looked behind her and towards Lunara and Thalina who were talking to a couple of druids that they had come across. _"We have found something that you will want to hear."_

Athrodar waited patiently in the meeting room as the rest of them left, leaving him alone with Lord Ravenholdt who was going through reports far enough away to not hear him. _"Where are you?__"_

_"Val'sharah.__ These druids were talking about some sort of darkness taking over the forest, but there's something else."_ Sylvanas looked at the druids who were talking to the other two women, showing them the Comm. Disc so they could see Athrodar. "Tell him what you just told us." She said, glancing over to Thalina who had a smile on her face.

"Your daughters, both Queen and Princess were with us in the Grove of Cenarius not a day ago. The Queen has a broken leg that is on the mend, but we had to send them on their way when the darkness that has taken this forest crept in around us. From what I was told, they are heading north towards Highmountain. We sent a messenger out to find you a couple days ago, but they had apparently just missed you in Dalaran."

Sylvanas thanked the druids and turned the Comm. Disc back on herself. _"Did you hear that? We are closing in on them."_

Athrodar smiled for the first time today at the good news. _"I will leave as soon as possible and race down there. We will catch up to them soon, I know it.__"_

_"And Elaria?" _Sylvanas asked, looking back at Luna who thanked the druids along with Thalina before sending them on their way. _"You know Luna will ask about her.__"_

_"We tell her the truth."_ Athrodar told her. _"No point lying to her, she will want to go find Elaria no matter what."_

Sylvanas nodded her head in agreement. _"Okay. Then we wait until you're back with us." _She smiled at her husband who looked less distracted now than he did, but she could still see this Elaria thing was playing on his mind. _"I love you.__"_

_"I love you too.__" _Athrodar whispered to his wife, smiling at her before they both turned off their Comm. Discs.

Sylvanas looked back to Thalina and Luna who were awaiting her command? No, that seemed too much like being in charge. More like what she had to say, an update on what they were going to do next. "Athrodar is on his way here." She told them, knowing Luna had already picked up on the lack of a second name.

"And Elaria? What about her?"

"You'll have to ask Athrodar when he gets here." Sylvanas told the Draenei, beginning to walk passed them to find out where exactly 'here' was, only to be stopped by Luna who held onto her arm.

"What happened?" Luna now asked, knowing something did with the way Sylvanas passed on the explaination onto Athrodar.

Sylvanas sighed, knowing she wasn't going to get away with saying nothing. "Elaria is staying with the assassin group in Dalaran because they are taking the fight to the Burning Legion whilst we are out here trying to find our missing family members." She looked over to Thalina as she knew that, despite wanting to help fight this new threat, her main goal was finding her daughter. "We are doing the right thing. Elaria is driven by grief and is seeking out revenge by slaying those that may or may not have been involved with killing her sister."

"Then I am going back to Dalaran." Luna told them, letting go of Sylvanas' arm and making her way back south.

"Luna, wait. You can't leave." Thalina's eyes begged for her to stay. "We need you."

"I can't. Elaria is all I have left, I will be damned if I let her slip away into the darkness of vengeance without my being there to help her through it." The Draenei placed a gentle hand on Thalina's cheek and smiled at her. "I hope you find your daughters safe and sound. They are close and we all know it."

Thalina smiled at the Draenei, but also had a look of sadness on her face at saying goodbye to her friend. "I hope you get to Elaria safe and sound too. I want her to be okay and I think you're the only one who can help."

Luna hugged the Magister tightly when the smaller elf threw herself at the Draenei. "I will help her." Luna pulled back and then hugged Sylvanas goodbye, whispering to her the moment they hugged to tell her something she didn't want Thalina to hear. "Watch out for her." She told Sylvanas, pulling back a little and keeping her hands on her arms. "Just listening to her for the last two days, she is breaking. Her daughter is missing and she is about to be left alone with the woman who stole the man she has loved for as long as she can remember."

Sylvanas looked over to Thalina who was looking out into the forest and down the road they were walking along. "What are you saying?"

"Keep an eye on her. I can't be here for her and Elaria, so she will need someone to make sure she doesn't just snap and burn this forest down until she finds her daughter." Luna smiled a little at Sylvanas who slowly nodded her head at the Draenei. "She might not like it, but you have to be there for her should she break."

"I will." Sylvanas whispered to her, looking back to Thalina who was kicking her foot back and forth. "Athrodar cares for her. It's the one thing about him that annoys me, but she is slowly growing on me. I will look out for her, but I may not be able to stop her if she was to snap and start casting spells."

"Then find your daughters quickly." Luna advised. "I have to go. Elaria needs me now."

Sylvanas smiled and bowed her head to the Draenei. "Go. We'll head back to Dalaran once we find them. Hopefully soon."

* * *

Tanadia paced back and forth, looking down at both her sister and the body of Snow. "We have to get moving, Vic." She said softly, having stayed in the same place for over an hour now and was growing worried at the darkness that was creeping in around them once more. "We have to go."

Victoria had remained silent for the last hour however, keeping her head rested on Snow's belly and her ear pressed against his heart, knowing she was never going to hear his heart beat again, hear him purr again or have a play fight with her best friend again. But she didn't want to ever move from this spot again, holding onto her nightsaber as if her life depended on it.

The Priestess sat down beside her sister, placing a hand on her back and slowly rubbing it to soothe her. "Something is coming, I can feel it. We have to head north to avoid it before it comes for us."

Victoria ignored her, keeping her arms around her nightsaber and not moving an inch.

Although she knew her sister was grieving, Tanadia began to get mildy frustrated after spending over an hour trying to get Victoria to move, trying to pick her up time and time again and being pushed off by the older and stronger elf as she felt both pained that her friend had gone as well as a massive amount of guilt for having shot Snow with both arrows that injured and then killed him.

"I'll carry you if I have to, Vic, but at the end of the day we have to move, now." Tanadia put her arms under Victoria's and pulled her up onto her feet with all her strength, slowly dragging her away and getting the first sound out of her sister since she stopped crying which was a scream of defiance the second she pushed Tanadia off her.

"I'm not leaving him!" Victoria roared, collapsing back down onto the floor and throwing herself on Snow's body. "I did this to him and I am going to die here with him." She then mumbled, having more tears leave her eyes after she had stopped crying for a few minutes. "Leave, Tana... Get out of here before this place consumes you too."

Tanadia shook her head and sat down beside her sister. "No. I am not leaving you, our parents are coming to get us. Don't you want to hold them, have them hold you?"

"They're not coming... We left that druid village and headed north without actually knowing where we're going." Victoria closed her eyes and sighed, holding onto Snow tightly. "Just keep going north, Tana. You will come across help soon enough."

Silence soon followed Victoria's advice with Tanadia remaining sat behind her, watching her sister continue to rest on the body of Snow and feeling sorry for her. Not only because she had lost her best friend and the woman she loved within the same week, but because she had truly given up on everything. "If you're going to die here, Vic. I am going to die here with you."

"Don't be stupid, Tana. You still have a future." Victoria opened her eyes and stared at Snow's head, feeling her chest tighten at seeing his lifeless body again. "Mine has gone the moment the Legion invaded..."

"Don't be stupid, Vic." Tanadia said, standing up and walking around until she was in front of Victoria's eyeline, placing her hands on her hips and narrowing her eyes at her sister. "You're a Queen of a city, the Capital city of Azeroth to be exact. You have people counting on you back home. They are probably mourning us this very second because they think we are dead, but if we get out of this alive and head back home, our people will rejoice in seeing their Royal Family alive." Tanadia knelt down in front of her sister, her eyes pleading as she saw Victoria look up at her. "Let me help you up. We can bury him here and find someone who can port us and his body to Stormwind where we can bury him properly."

Victoria shook her head. "No." She rolled over to face away from her sister. "We are both staying here."

Tanadia closed her eyes and surpressed a frustrated sigh. "Fine... Then I am going to go find you some help up north. If you're planning to die here, the least I can do is get someone who can help you out of this state of mind and get us both home."

Victoria watched her sister begin to walk north and away from her, getting smaller and smaller as she get further away until she was almost out of her line of sight. Just as she went back to holding onto Snow, she heard a scream in the direction Tanadia was walking in, reaching for her nearby bow and shooting up onto her feet, running towards the sound of fighting in the distance but stopping to look back at Snow's body. She didn't want to leave him there for be eaten by whatever predator would smell him, but she also needed to help Tanadia fight off whatever was attacking her.

Knowing she couldn't lose her sister as well, she began to run to the sound of the fighting, pulling an arrow back on her bow and letting it loose into a Felguard, watching him turn around to face her and letting loose another arrow into his chest. She pulled back another arrow after reaching for it in her quiver and nocking it in place, letting it loose between the Felguard's eyes and reaching for a forth arrow as she scanned the fighting for Tanadia, watching a demon with a fel cage on its back, pick up her sister's unconscious body and look back to Victoria who slowly lowered her bow. "Kill her." The demon commanded, pointing at the Queen and carrying Tanadia into the forest.

"No..." Victoria muttered as the demon followed by several other demons retreated into the forests of Val'sharah, leaving her alone with several felhounds and felguards charging towards her, letting loose two arrows into two seperate felhounds and killing them before they could get to her, reaching for her sword and parrying the first swing from a felguard's great axe, hoping to dodge the second but being betrayed by her leg as it buckled beneath her and she collapsed to the floor, dropping her sword in the meantime. Though she did dodge it in the end, she had to think and act quickly to dodge the third strike from her kneeling position.

Diving out the way, she watched as the axe buried itself into the floor beside her and reaching for her nearby sword that she had dropped the moment she collapsed to the ground and stuck it deep into the felguard's chest, watching as the second felguard charged at her and rolling away from his strike, reaching for an arrow in her quiver and looking around for her bow. "Damn it..." She muttered when she saw it was beside the fallen felguard.

As the axe came swinging down at her, she rolled again and stuck the arrow in the felguard's arm, reaching for another arrow and not noticing the felhound racing towrads her, moving her arm up to try and block the jaw that now clamped down on her arm, letting out a scream as pain shot through her and forcing the arrow deep into the felhound's head. "Fuck you..." She breathed, looking down at her now free arm and cursing to herself again when she saw several teeth had punctured her arm and made her bleed. A lot.

She still had one felguard to deal with however, hugging her arm into her chest as she rolled away from the great axe once more, reaching for an arrow and just stroking the fletching on it before having to duck under the side swinging axe, pulling out the arrow once the axe had gone passed her and sticking it into the felguard's leg behind the knee, dragging herself to her sword and pulling it out the first felguard's chest before rolling onto her back and taking in a deep breath before pushing herself up onto her feet and stumbling over to the second felguard, pushing her sword into its back and collapsing onto the floor with the demon.

"Tana..." She muttered, closing her eyes and letting out a loud scream of anguish as she had now lost her sister too. She had one job, protect her sister and she couldn't even do that. Tanadia had been taken by the Legion and now she was going through many scenarios in which most of them involved her being tortured. "I'm sorry..." She began to say to herself, being one of the many times she had said sorry today and knowing it wouldn't change anything. "I couldn't even protect you..."


	36. Chapter 36

**Captured**

"Are we waiting here for Athrodar?" Thalina asked, watching Sylvanas pace back and forth. "If so, I can set up camp for the night and hopefully Athrodar arrives before the morning."

"Yes, make the camp." Sylvanas rubbed her temples to keep herself calm. She didn't know what brought on this sudden surge of stress, but she knew that the second Athrodar arrived, she would be happy and calm again. "If I snap at you, it's not your fault." She told Thalina, still pacing back and forth. "This past decade I have had my family around me constantly. I'm not complaining, I love them to bits, but now they aren't here and Athrodar was the one constant that kept me calm. Now that he's not here, I am having a hard time adjusting to his lack of presence. So again, if I snap at you, it's not your fault, I am trying my hardest to not freak out."

"And here I thought Luna told you to watch out for me." Thalina muttered, smiling a little when she saw Sylvanas stop pacing and look over to her. "Yes, I heard that. And I'm fine with her telling you that, I know I am slipping too. For her entire life, I have kept Tanadia with me. So to know she is out there in the wilds, probably surrounded by demons is eating me up inside." Her smile brightened a little when Sylvanas smiled at her. "We are just two mothers who want their family back, so why don't we keep an eye out for each other and make sure the we both don't burn the entire forest down."

Sylvanas let out a small laugh and nodded her head. "Deal."

As Thalina was getting their small camp ready, just two sleeping bags and some sort of makeshift tent that was not even close to what they were used to, Sylvanas kept an eye out for anyone coming from the south, spinning her ring around on her finger as she watched on, hoping her husband would appear from the darkness sooner rather than later. "Come on, baby... Where are you?" She whispered to herself, knowing he was a seasoned enough ranger to be out on his own in the dark in unknown territory and experienced enough to survive out there, but hating it all the same as he wasn't in touching distance.

"I hate that you've done this to me." She also whispered, looking down at the ring on her finger. "Before you were in my life, I was fine with rangers being out on their own." She looked back into the darkness to the south and sighed. "Now we have a life together, I am so much weaker than I was. You won't admit that I am, but I know I am..."

"Or you're stronger than you were." Thalina told her, placing down a couple of wards to keep insects away as well as any predator brave enough to try and attack them whilst they slept. "You have a family to fight for and you will clearly do anything to make sure they're safe." The Magister shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know about you, but having something to fight for tends to make people strong."

"But my enemies can use my family to get to me." Sylvanas told her.

Which made Thalina snort with laughter. "What enemies? You're no longer in a leading role, you and Athrodar are back in Windrunner Village with your children, no longer creating chaos in the world." The Magister grinned at Sylvanas who began to look away from her, knowing she was right. "Plus you're both strong rangers, nobody will do anything to harm your family, outside of the Legion I suppose... And maybe the Scourge."

Sylvanas continued to look away from the Magister, letting out a groan when she knew she was right. "Fine... I suppose what you're saying is true. I am out here looking for my daughter."

"And we will find her alive and well. She will be with her sister, waiting for us to bring them back." Thalina looked down at the sleeping bags she had placed on the floor. "Now come on, the wards should keep away any unwelcomed visitors. Get some sleep and tomorrow we will head north and close the distance between us and our daughters."

Sylvanas smiled at the Magister. "Sounds like a plan, Thal. Hopefully Athrodar gets to us soon, the more of us looking for our daughters, the better."

* * *

Athrodar had reached the forests of Val'sharah in the early hours of the morning, opting not to sleep the moment he left Dalaran to make up the ground between himself and the rest of his group. He wished Lord Ravenholdt the best of luck on his quest to assassinate the Burning Legion members, telling him to look out for Elaria and informing him that she hasn't been the same since she saw her sister's body and that she may become reckless if left to her own devices.

"I'll keep an eye on her." He said to Athrodar, shaking his hand in the process. "I hope you find your daughter, I really do. Both of them."

"I will, soon enough I hope but I know I will." Athrodar bowed his head to the human, giving him one last smile before leaving Dalaran and returning to the Broken Isles below.

"I'm closing in on them." He told himself, crossing the lake between Val'sharah and Aszuna. "If Sylvanas had her way, they are waiting in one spot until I got to them." He then began to laugh lightly, imagining her sitting on the forest floor as Luna and Thal walked away from her, imagining them groaning and turning back when Sylvanas remained sat on the floor. "I'll be there soon, my love..." He whispered to himself, rubbing his thumb across the ring on his finger. "Very soon."

He walked for close to twenty minutes before noticing a small camp in the middle of the road just up ahead, smiling to himself when he saw two slepping bags, a small campfire that had been burnt out and the faint smell of magic that was fading as the minutes passed. "There they are..." He muttered to himself, hearing a snap of a twig to his left and pulling out his bow, nocking an arrow in place and scanning the tree line. "Come out!" He commanded, pulling the bowstring back and waiting for an enemy to come out of the trees.

When a second twig snapped, it was behind him this time, spinning to face it and being attacked from behind where the first twig snap was and letting loose his arrow, missing his target as he was tackled to the floor, waking up Sylvanas and Thalina in the meantime when he yelled the second he was tackled. "Wake up!" He yelled, reaching for the dagger in his boot and sinking it deep into the demon's neck on top of him. "Sylvanas!"

That was what stirred her out of her sleep, hearing Athrodar's voice call for her in the distance and looking over to where she heard it, seeing a group of demons pour out of the trees and attack Athrodar in the distance. "Thal! Wake up!" She yelled, reaching for her swords and making her way towards the demons.

Thalina too shot up into action and engulfed her hands in fire, throwing a ball of fire at one of the demons and setting fire to another. "Athrodar, we're coming!" She yelled, watching Sylvanas cut through three demons with ease and being blocked off by five more who continued to pour out of the trees.

"They just keep coming..." Sylvanas muttered to herself, looking back at Thalina who tried to blast a hole into their ranks but ultimately failing as they continued to bulk up their ranks. "Where did they all come from!?" She yelled, cutting down two more and watching as they overwhelmed Athrodar.

"Shit..." He muttered, being backed into a corner and noticing they weren't trying to kill him. In fact, they were trying to capture him and that confused him more than them all appearing out of thin air. He cut off the arm of one demon trying to grab him, sticking his sword into a second before being hit around the back of the head by a third that managed to get around him, having his world go black as he collapsed to the floor before being picked up by a forth demon with a fel cage on its back.

"No!" Sylvanas screamed, dodging a swinging axe and cutting down two more demons, watching the demon carrying Athrodar create a portal and go through it, closing it shortly after and feeling her heart shatter as her husband had come and gone within an instant of him arriving. "No!" She screamed again, watching as several demons at once were set on fire by Thalina who let out a sudden burst of anger at seeing Athrodar be taken away from them. "Thal, wait." She said, holding her hand out to the Magister seconds before she was about to kill whatever demons remained.

"Why!?" Thalina asked, her voice loud and aggressive. "Why shouldn't I burn every last one of them for taking your husband!?"

"Because I am going to interrogate this one." Sylvanas told her, pointing her sword at the throat of a demon who got injured and couldn't escape with the rest of them. "And it won't be pleasant, for the demon at least."

* * *

"Dad?"

Athrodar slowly opened his eyes, not seeing much but green and black.

"Dad?" The voice said again softly, Athrodar feeling a pair of hands on his arm and looking over to the owner of them.

"Tana..?" He whispered, blinking hard to get his vision under control and sitting up, only to hiss and hold the back of his head at the sharp, aching pain he felt there. "Where are we?"

"Northern Val'sharah." The priestess told him, smiling at her father despite the circumstances they found themselves in. "I've missed you." She whispered, hugging Athrodar tightly after throwing herself at him. "I began to give up hope that you were coming."

"Of course we were coming. Your mother and I, along with Sylvanas, Elaria and Luna were all coming to find all three of you, both our daughters and Snow." Athrodar smiled at her, but saw sadness in his daughter's eyes. "What's wrong?" He asked shortly after he picked up on it.

"Snow is dead, Papa... Victoria had to kill him when he attacked us." Tanadia closed her eyes and shook her head. "The darkness of the forest consumed him and blinded him. He couldn't tell friend from foe and just attacked."

Athrodar hugged his daughter and tried to keep her calm, deciding to change subject in the meantime. "Why did they capture us? What are we doing here?"

"Labour, papa. They are using us to create portals to summon more demons." Tanadia looked at the many faces around them, ranging from Tauren to Gnome, Orc to human. All of them captured and enslaved by the demons. "They are sacrificing the weak as well to power the portals."

"Then let's make sure we don't appear weak." Athrodar told his daughter, holding her close as he looked around the room of a building he had just noticed they were in. "How many of us are there?"

"About twenty per building." Tanadia told him, staying in her father's arms just to be close to him, hoping it would provid the feeling of home and security she now missed and needed. "How are we going to get out of this?"

Athrodar sighed and lowered his head a little. "I don't know, hun. They have taken our weapons and I can only presume silenced any casters amongst us." He kissed the top of her head and held her tightly against him. "We will come up with something, I am sure of it. It will just take time."

"Well, despite the circumstances, I am happy you're here papa." Tanadia closed her eyes as she leaned on him. "I didn't want to die alone in a place like this."

"You won't die here." Athrodar whispered to her, noticing the majority of the _slaves_ were sleeping and figuring this was their rest period. "Sleep, I'll watch over you."

Tanadia kept her eyes closed and smiled, snuggling up to Athrodar who held his daughter in his arm. "We'll get through this, papa." She whispered, yawning shortly after. "Then we can go home."

Athrodar smiled at the innocence of his daughter, despite seeing death all around her, she was still a child. "Yes, then we can go home."

* * *

Thalina flinched when she heard the screams of pain coming from the demon they had captured, knowing Sylvanas was going to torture them but still finding it hard to listen to the sounds of it. "Where did they take them?" Sylvanas asked for the millionth time, sticking the tip of her sword into a fresh wound on the demon and making them scream out in pain. "Tell me!"

They had captured an Eredar, much to the surprise of them both as they had heard of the Draenei who joined Sargarus and commanded the Burning Legion, but also a prime opportunity for the former Banshee Queen to get vital information out of them.

"I'm... argh... Not telling... you anything!" The Eredar spat at Sylvanas, laughing and then screaming out in pain as she pushed her finger in a different wound, moving it around and forcing them to pass out from the pain.

"Thal, wake him up again." Sylvanas said, pulling her finger out the wound and cleaning it off, waiting for the Magister to force the eredar to wake up for the third time.

"We should just kill him. He isn't going to give us any information so we're just wasting time." Thalina looked up at Sylvanas who continued to glare at the passed out Eredar. "We should kill him and head north to our daughters. Then we will come up with a plan to rescue Athrodar with their help. If we are to storm whatever Legion camp they have him in, we need the numbers."

"Fine." Sylvanas agreed, pointing her sword at the throat of the Eredar. "Wake him up and I will try once more to reason with him. If he says nothing, I will kill him."

Thalina began to conjure a spell in her hands, looking at the purple glow as it began to seep into the Eredar's skin and stir him from his slumber. "I advice you talk now, or she will kill you." Thalina told him, looking over to Sylvanas and stepping back as she stepped forward.

"Where are they taking him?" Sylvanas asked, this time laying her sword across his throat and glaring at the Eredar. "You have five seconds to tell me, or I will make them your last five seconds. Five..."

The Eredar laughed at her threat. "Do it. My masters will consume this world like they have consumed countless others before it."

"Four... Three... Two..."

The Eredar looked into Sylvanas' eyes with smugness, not believing she would kill him just because of the information he was holding from her. "This is an idle threat." He chuckled, rolling his eyes his eyes when Sylvanas smirked at him the moment she said one.

"Last chance." She told him, placing her sword across his throat.

"You're bluffing."

"If you say so." Sylvanas said, slicing her sword across his throat and watching his eyes widen when he realised what she had done. "I gave you ample time."

Thalina watched the Eredar struggle for breath, flinching at the amount of blood pouring from his neck and walking away from the scene unfolding in front of her, leaving Sylvanas alone with him. "I'll pack up the camp and get ready to leave."

Sylvanas loved the scene before her. She had missed it greatly, the smell of blood from a fresh kill, watching as they helplessly tried clawing for breath. This was what she enjoyed, killing her enemies on the battlefield. This was her home. "I have missed this..." She muttered, wiping clean her sword and stepping over the Eredar.

Thalina had packed up the camp the moment Sylvanas walked back to her, looking behind the taller elf and towards where they had kept the Eredar prisoner for the past hour. "Ready?" She asked, fixing the strap of her backpack by pulling on it to tighten it.

"Let's head north." Sylvanas told her, walking passed the Magister and heading down the path that was leading them to their daughters.

They continued to travel north for several hours in silence, Thalina not having a topic in mind and Sylvanas too busy trying to get to her daughter as quickly as possible, occasionally running ahead of the Magister by several hundred feet just to scout what was further down the road, having Thalina catch up to her when she used her magic to blink towards her. "We're close. The forests aren't as corrupted here." Sylvanas told her, noticing several specks of green compared to the black and red that dominated their vision only a few minutes earlier.

"Then let's get going." Thalina told her, both of them running down the path but remaining cautious as they both had a feeling they were being watched by the same demons that took Athrodar only a few hours before.

They ran for another ten minutes before coming across something that had stunned both women, stopping them in their tracks. "No..." Sylvanas breathed, falling to her knees and placing a hand on the fallen nightsaber in front of her. "Snow... Oh you poor thing." She whispered, pressing her head to his belly and clutching onto his fur tightly. She looked down the road behind the nightsaber, noticing splotches of blood leading down the path and following it until she came across a body.

Thalina gasped and placed her hands over her mouth just as Sylvanas flipped the body of Victoria over so she was on her back.

"No!" Sylvanas screamed when she saw her daughter in a pool of blood, placing her hands on her face and letting out a long sigh of relief when she still felt some warmth, but the cold was taking over. "Victoria, baby. Wake up." She whispered, placing a hand over her arm which looked to have tooth marks. "Thal... Dalaran portal, now!"

Thalina knew it was risky to have someone so injured travel through a portal, but she had no other choice if she was to save the Queen of Stormwind. "Where's my daughter?" She asked Sylvanas who shook her head. "I'm not leaving without her!" She yelled when Sylvanas picked up her daughter.

"We may not have a choice, Thal." Sylvanas told her, holding Victoria in her arms as she carried her to the portal that materialised in front of her. "Get Snow too, she will want to bury him back in Stormwind."

Thalina was torn on what to do. She wanted to get back to Dalaran to make sure Victoria was okay, but at the same time, she didn't want to leave without her daughter who might have been nearby. "Tanadia!?" She yelled just as Sylvanas went through the portal, yelling her daughter's name again and getting no response. "I'm coming back for you!" She yelled, hoping if she was nearby, that she would hear her.

Sylvanas handed her daughter over to one of the Kirin Tor guardians just as Thalina returned with Snow's body, looking back at her with sadness in her eyes. "We will go back for her, Thal. I just need to make sure my daughter is okay."

The Magister collapsed to her knees and began to cry into her hands. Deep down she knew they wouldn't find her in that forest, that she may have faced the same fate as Athrodar or even worse, Sera. "We will come back for you..." She muttered, continuing to cry into her hands as a couple of Kirin Tor guardians took Snow's body after Sylvanas told them what to do with him.

* * *

Victoria slowly opened her eyes, staring up at the ceiling of the room she was in and not making out any details of the room whatsoever when she began to look around, only knowing that she wasn't alone in the bed and wishing that everything that had just happened was a dream. "Hello?" She whispered, looking at the guest in her bed and becoming both overwhelmingly happy and sad at the same time when she saw her mother sleeping beside her. "Mama..." She muttered just as her voice broke with emotion, shuffling closer to her and resting her head on her shoulder. "You came."

Sylvanas woke up when she felt movement beside her, looking at Victoria for several seconds until she realised she was awake and smiled brightly at her. "My baby! How are you feeling? How's you're arm? What happened to Snow and Tanadia?"

Victoria rubbed her eyes to wake herself up, smiling at her mother who hugged her before she could even fathom where she was. "That's a lot of questions, mom. At least give me some time to wake up."

Sylvanas continued to hold her daughter, never wanting to let go of her again as she pulled her head to her chest and began to stroke her hair. "I'm sorry. I have just been so worried that began to think I would never see you again."

Victoria smiled and melted into the hug, closing her eyes and letting herself be taken away from the troubles of the world as she was safe again in her mother's arms. Only, there was one thing playing on her mind now that she began to think about it. "Where's dad?" She asked after a couple minutes of silence.

"He was taken from me." Sylvanas told her in a hushed tone. "Demons ambushed him whilst we were searching for you. Thalina and I couldn't get to him in time before they stepped through a portal and disappeared." She held onto her daughter tightly for comfort, fighting the sting of her emotions that began to surface.

"Just like Tanadia..." Victoria muttered. "She was taken from me only metres away by demons who poured out of the trees. I tried to fight them off, but this demon with some sort of cage on its back took her and disappeared into the forests, ordering a handful of demons to kill me but I got the better of them." She looked at her arm that was wrapped up in bandages. "Well, almost all of them. A felhound caught me by surprise and bit down on my arm."

"Well, you're safe now. I have spoken to my sister and she has agreed to help us find those demons that took your sister and father." Sylvanas kissed her daughter's cheek, holding her close once more. "Viraleth has agreed to help too. She went looking for you but was called back by Halduron after they had some of their rangers get captured by demons too."

"So it's happening to everyone." Victoria said, looking up at her mother who nodded her head. "We have to save them all. Who knows what they're doing to them."

"We will, honey." Sylvanas told her, stroking her hair. "We will."


	37. Chapter 37

**Planning An Escape**

Three days had passed by since Victoria woke up in Dalaran and was cleared to walk around the city, keeping close to her mother as they both walked around the magical floating city arm hook around arm. "I have spent at least ten years with this family as your daughter and yet I don't think I've ever visited your sister's city."

Sylvanas smiled and gently placed her hand over Victoria's, patting the top of it as she looked over to her. "Then, despite the circumstances, welcome to Dalaran."

Victoria smiled and leaned her head on her mother's arm. "It's a beautiful place. Shame it's located over the Legion's playground."

"Not for much longer." Sylvanas told her, kissing the top of her daughter's head. "They are spreading themselves thin over the Broken Isles, we will begin to push them back once we get a foothold."

There was one big reason why Victoria wanted to walk around the city today and that was because she heard Viraleth and her rangers were visiting the city before heading out in a couple of days and she wanted to both thank the Scout Captain of Silvermoon for trying to find her and to catch up with an old friend.

"So what do you want to do after this meeting today?" Sylvanas asked her daughter, glancing over to the slightly smaller elf and raising an eyebrow at her distracted face. "Unless you have plans already?"

"I want to find Viraleth." She told her mother. "I haven't spoken to her since before I became the Queen. It would be nice to see her again."

Sylvanas nodded her head slowly. "Okay, I understand." She smiled down at her daughter who looked up at her. "I'm sure she will want to see you too. She seems like her old self when I last spoke to her, so maybe you will have a good talk."

"What do you mean by 'good talk' mom?" Victoria asked, tilting her head a little at Sylvanas. "I hope it's not what I think you're implying. I have only just lost my General, the woman I loved, so I am not looking to start anything for a long while."

"I wasn't implying anything, honey." Sylvanas told her, patting the hand that was hooked around her arm. "Other than she will be a good friend to talk to, if you need it."

Victoria couldn't help but smile, looking down at the road they were walking along and squeezing Sylvanas' hand. "Thank you."

Sylvanas continued to smile, holding onto her daughter's arm as it remained hooked around hers. "You're welcome." She replied, not needing to know why she was saying thank you and just taking it in her stride as they neared the Violet Citadel. "Ready to see everyone?" She asked as they began to climb the steps leading to the entrance of the Citadel.

"Who is going to be there again?"

"Your aunt and uncle, along with your twin cousins. Myself, obviously and if she is feeling up to it, Thalina. Then a few ambassadors from Stormwind who wouldn't take no for an answer, Thal'ena and Cyndia." Sylvanas' face began to frown as she thought she had missed somebody off the list, becoming sad when she remembered who it was. "Your father was supposed to be there too, but he..."

Victoria stopped walking as they reached the top step, removing her arm from her mother's and turning to face her completely before hugging her to keep her mother calm. "It's okay, mom. We will get him back, just like you got me back. Tanadia too."

Sylvanas smiled and melted into the hug. "We will. As soon as we find out where they have taken them all, we will take out their camp and free everyone those demons have captured." She pulled back and cupped Victoria's face in her hands, brushing her thumbs across both cheeks. "Then we will be here with and for you until you get sick of having us around, or this war is over and we return back home." She watched her daughter close her eyes as she continued to brush her thumbs across her cheeks, smiling a little brighter. "And you are welcome to drop everything and come with us. For as long as you like, forever preferably, but for as long as you like is good too."

"Maybe a couple weeks would be good, before I return to Stormwind." Victoria said, looking into her mother's eyes and knowing she would love her to stay forever. "Maybe after this meeting and once I'm fully cleared to leave the city, we can go home for a bit and I can hold onto my brother and sisters for two weeks until my arms grow tired and they no longer want to be near me?"

Sylvanas laughed lightly and nodded her head in agreement. "Okay, deal. When you're cleared to leave Dalaran, we will head home so you can hug your siblings and never let go of them."

* * *

"They have a tiny hole in their guard rotations." Athrodar whispered to Tanadia as they both carried several of rock and stone to the big pile in the distance where other captured fighters were building the foundations of the portal. "It's not big enough to sneak through without getting caught, unless we can get them distracted."

Tanadia shook her head, letting out a long exhale as she dropped the rocks in her arms onto the pile in front of her. "Too risky. We need something solid so we can get several of us out of here, papa. I don't feel comfortable leaving everyone behind whilst we both escape."

"We may not be able to get more than just the two of us out of here, Tana." Athrodar told her, picking up a big rock and being helped by his daughter as they both carried it to the pile. "The only way I can see us all leaving here together is if we're liberated. Or all the demons leave and abandon the project."

Tanadia frowned as they dropped the rock next to the pile, both walking over to the nearby stones for the thousandth time today. "Is there really nothing else?" She asked, looking over to a human woman who collapsed and dropped her rocks on the floor, glancing over to her father who began to run to her side. "Papa, wait!"

"Get back, scum!" A Demon Overlord yelled, pushing Athrodar back hard enough so he fell on his ass. "You, get back up. Now!" They yelled atthe human woman who tried to push herself up, only to collapse back onto the floor. "Hmmph, fine. Bring her to the warlocks." The Overlord looked over to Athrodar who stood up and brushed the dirt off his leggings. "Get back to work."

"That's the forth one today." Tanadia muttered, picking up a couple of rocks and walking beside her father once more. "This is why I want to save everyone here. We are losing close to ten soldiers a day here where they've just collapsed and given up. Those Warlocks steal their souls and use them to power the portals."

"I know..." Athrodar whispered to her, dropping his rocks on the pile. "Give me more time... There is bound to be a weakness somewhere that we can exploit."

"There will be, papa. We will keep looking for it until it's found." Tanadia smiled and took hold of his hand briefly, making sure the demons around them didn't see it as the last time it happened, Athrodar was punished for an entire day. "Let's just keep working and keeping our findings on the down low."

Athrodar grinned and squeezed his daughter's hand before letting go of it. "I am proud of you, little one." He whispered, making her smile at him. "You are growing up faster than I would have expected, which is what is needed right now."

"I have to, papa." Tanadia told him, picking up more rocks and stone. "Victoria is injured, I forgot to tell you that... Her leg was broken from the crash and I had to step up and look after her and Snow before..." Her smile faded a little, shaking her head and back to her father. "I had to grow up really quickly over the last week."

"When we're out of here, you don't have to worry about growing up as quickly as we will be heading home." Athrodar dropped off his rocks and stone on the pile, looking over to his daughter who smiled brightly at him again. "You can stay as long as you'd like as well. We have enough homes for your and your mother too, so if you want to stay forever, you can."

"I do want that..." Tanadia muttered. "I don't know if mama will."

"I will talk to her when I next see her. When we get out of here." Athrodar placed a hand on his daughter's face and pulled in her closer so he could kiss her on the forehead, quickly retracting his hand when he heard a couple of demons patrolling passed them. "Come on, back to finding a way out of here."

* * *

Night had fallen over Dalaran and Victoria was laying in bed after a long day, the trauma from the last week finally catching up to her as she had no energy to leave her bed let alone the room. She had spent a few hours in the Violet Citadel with everyone her mother had mentioned would be there, most of it spent with the council members that came to see her and were relieved she was alive. She had told them she wasn't coming back to Stormwind for a few more weeks, needing to recover and spending time at home with her family.

They told her they understood and were sorry for the loss of both the General and her nightsaber, Snow, wishing her the best before heading back to Stormwind with the sole purpose of telling the people that their Queen was alive and recovering from her injuries. When her part of the meeting was over, she had left the Violet Citadel to retire to the room she was staying in until she recovered, laying down on her bed and having the trauma of the last week catch up to her as she began to cry uncontrollably.

She was left in this state, alone for an hour before she had her one and only visitor of the day. Viraleth had the day off, needing to go back to Silvermoon to talk to Lor'themar and Halduron to update them on her task the next day and deciding to spend her final day in Dalaran with the Queen of Stormwind. Mostly to catch up and to make sure she was okay, but it quickly turned into her comforting the younger elf when she walked in on her crying.

"I'm here for you, Vic." She whispered the moment she sat down beside Victoria, having the Queen roll over to face her and gripping onto the Scout Captain's tunic to bury her face in her stomach. "Just let it out."

That was the only thing that was said between the two of them for a couple hours. Victoria continued to cry and mourn nonstop whilst Viraleth just held her, opting to lay down beside her and cuddle the elf she still had feelings for. Despite not being aroudn her for over five years, she had heard about Victoria's reign from messengers and from Sylvanas, feeling proud of the young elf and her tenure as Queen of Stormwind.

Deep down she had a small, selfish part of her that was happy Sera was no longer in the picture, but it was constantly being crushed by both the disgust she felt at having those thoughts and the need to be there for a friend who was grieving, squeezing Victoria every now and then when the thoughts came back into her mind just to push them away.

"I don't want to go back..." Victoria muttered when her crying had died down. "I'm tired of losing people. Sera is gone, Snow is gone. I have lost countless rangers, soldiers, mages and many civilians over the last five years due to war, raids or skirmishes. Not to mention the wars leading up to us taking Stormwind." She looked up at the Scout Captain who was gazing down at her. "I want to go home, with my mom and my dad. I don't want to rule over a city any more, I just want to be with my family in peace."

Viraleth stroked her hair, smiling at her when she closed her eyes at the slightest of touches. "Then go home with them. Nobody is forcing you to be the Queen of Stormwind, your mother will understand if you tell her what you just told me."

"I guess..." Victoria muttered, sniffing and wiping her eyes. "Do you not think she will be angry that I have abandoned everything my parents have worked hard for? To have one of their children on the throne of Stormwind?"

"What? Of course not." Viraleth laughed lightly, pulling the Queen into her embrace once more. "Whenever I spoke to your mother, all she could go on about was how proud of you she was. I had to ask about Athrodar some days just so the topic would change. And I don't even care about Athrodar!"

Victoria let out a small laugh which Viraleth took as a victory due to it being the first time she had heard her laugh since her arrival. "That is surprising, since she usually can go on for hours about how much she loves him, that she is lucky to have him and how she doesn't want to be anywhere else but by his side." Victoria's face began to turn sad again when she just thought about what she said. "Now he has been taken by demons like my sister and my mom is alone. She has her sister and me, but she's never as happy as she normally is unless Athrodar is right beside her."

"We will get him back." Viraleth promised her, stroking the Queen's hair. "Everyone is working hard to find him as we speak, scouts being sent out to every corner of the Broken Isles just to find a demon camp that would house both Athrodar and Tanadia as well as my scouts and anyone else who has been captured." She heard Victoria yawn, looking down at her and grinning at the Queen. "You should sleep. I will be here to watch over you until Sylvanas comes back."

Victoria shook her head, closing her eyes and holding onto Viraleth's tunic. "No... Stay here." She muttered, snuggling up to her. "I want a friend with me."

Viraleth cursed silently to herself, holding onto the Queen as she buried her head in the Scout Captain's neck. "I'll stay." She told her closing her eyes and suppressing a sigh when she felt Victoria shuffle just a little closer to her. "I won't be going anywhere." Viraleth muttered.

Forty minutes or so passed by before Sylvanas returned to check on Victoria, stopping at the entrance of her bedroom and smiling when she saw her daughter sleeping peacefully beside Viraleth who herself had drifted off to sleep too. "Cute." She whispered to herself, sitting down on a nearby chair and smiling at the two elves sleeping beside her, turning around to face the desk she was sitting beside and taking out the arrowhead she carried around with her out from her cloak pocket. "We're closing in on your location." Sylvanas whispered to the arrowhead in her hand, rubbing her thumb across it. "We will find you soon my love..."

Her eyes began to water before she even knew what was happening, spending almost a week away from her husband who she had rarely gone more than two days without was start to play on her mind. A lone tear dropped down onto the arrowhead in her hand when she realised her emotions were winning this fight, wiping away any more tears before they could fall and blinking hard to clear her vision. "I just want you back in my arms, Athrodar. Too many people have died this week, I don't want you to be the next."

Sylvanas took a long breath out, trying to keep herself calm and looking over to her daughter who continued to sleep peacefully beside Viraleth. "Your daughter is back with me. She misses you greatly, I can see it." She placed the arrowhead down on the desk and took off her cloak, boots and shoulderguards, climbing into the bed on the other side of her daughter and placing a gentle hand on her back, smiling and closing her eyes when Victoria woke up just enough to roll over and snuggle up to her mother. "I need you here with me, little one." She whispered to Victoria. "Your father isn't here and I need someone to keep my mind at ease."

Victoria smiled, a little dazed and confused at what was happening but nodded her head in agreement to Sylvanas' request. "Okay."

Waking up the next day, Viraleth slowly began to raise an eyebrow at the hand that was groping one of her breasts. "So this is happening..." She muttered, looking down at the hand and following the arm it was attatched to until she found the owner of it. "That's new." She said, clearing her throat to wake up the owner of the hand.

Sylvanas woke up from Viraleth's constant clearing of her throat, glaring at her from the other side of the bed. "What?"

"Can you remove your hand from my breast?" She asked, never expecting Sylvanas to be the one to fondle her whilst she slept. "You don't do this to Athrodar, I hope?"

Sylvanas widened her eyes and removed her hand from Viraleth's breast. "Sorry. I don't know... Sorry."

Viraleth rolled her eyes and standing up off the bed, looking down at Victoria who was the only one still sleeping. "She looks so peaceful compared to last night."

"Well, she had her mother and a close friend with her all night. Perhaps she just needed to be with loved ones after finally mourning the loss of Sera and Snow." Sylvanas smiled and looked down at her daughter. "I think she is just happy she got to spend time with you."

Viraleth also smiled and looked down at the Queen, stroking a hand through her hair lightly and trying not to wake her at the same time. "I am happy I got to spend some time with her too." She watched Sylvanas stand up and stretch. "Where are you going?"

"I need to shower." Sylvanas told her, walking towards the bathroom. "Tell her that if she wakes up and I'm not there."

Walking into the bathroom, Sylvanas stripped until she was wearing nothing, opening the door to the shower and pausing before she stepped inside, staring at the showerhead hanging on the wall. This was something she done intimately with Athrodar for the past five years, along with seemingly everything else apparently. But this... This was what she had enjoyed more than most things, standing in the shower with her husband as they washed each other. She placed a hand on her neck and feeling the kisses Athrodar used to leave there when things got heated, closing her eyes and smiling as her hands began to trace down her body as if they were Athrodar's and stopping just as they rested between her legs. "Even for such a simple task as washing myself, you have made my life difficult when you're not around." She whispered to herself, opening her eyes and sighing.

"It's not going to be as fun now that I have to do it myself." She said to herself as she stepped in the shower.

* * *

"The eastern side of the camp isn't as guarded as the other sides." Athrodar whispered to himself, picking up the food in his bowl with his hand and looking around for Tanadia who had come up with the idea of finding a group of like minded people to help find a way out of the camp with them.

When he found her, he raised an eyebrow when he saw her sitting with two Humans, a Tauren and a Troll, the last one being the only woman out of the four. The reason he raised his eyebrow at them was because one of the human men were getting a little close to her, placing a hand on her back when they all laughed. "Okay, that's not happening." He told himself, standing up and making his way over to them.

"What else, what else?" Tanadia asked, smiling brightly at the other Human talking to the group, telling stories about his time before the Legion's invasion.

"Okay. I spent a couple of weeks in Stranglethorn and -"

Everyone looked over to Athrodar when he cleared his throat, Tanadia smiling up at her dad whilst the two humans looked down at the floor, the Tauren saluting him and the Troll looking Athrodar up and down, seemingly checking him out. "Dad, I think these four can help us."

"Is that so?" He asked, deliberately sitting between Tanadia and the human that had his hand on her back. "Then I think I have some news that could help us all. The eastern side of the camp isn't as guarded as the other sides when we're in here."

"Well that's good, right?" Tanadia asked, leaning on Athrodar's arm and taking hold of his hand, looking around at the rest of their new group. "OH! I forgot to mention, this is Michael." Tanadia pointed at the human who was telling stories. "Hroki is this big Tauren here, Tujali is our Troll friend and the human sitting next to you is George."

Athrodar looked over to George who was slowly shuffling away from him, knowing Athrodar saw where his hand was. "It is good, yes." Athrodar said, looking back to his daughter. "If we're quick and plan this perfectly, we could kill the demons on the eastern side and retreat into the woods of Val'sharah before they know we're gone."

"So what do we need to do?" Tanadia asked, squeezing her father's hand as her eyes beamed hope up to him. "How can we help?"

"If you're all down for it, I need you all to keep count of how many demons are on the other side over the next couple of days. If it remains consistent, we will begin to plan our escape and more importantly, how to get the weapons to make our escape easier." Athrodar looked over to the Tauren who nodded his head slowly. "Especially for you, big guy. I reckon if we get a weapon in your hands, the demons will wish they never captured you."

"How do you know I'm not a druid?" Hroki asked, letting out a long breath through his nose and making his nose ring move with his breath. "I might not even like violence."

Athrodar grinned at the Tauren. "Oh I know you're not a druid. The way you hold yourself, the scars on your arms and face and how you're fidgeting with your hands gives it all away. You're used to holding a weapon, which is why you don't know what to do with your hands when you've not got a weapon in them." Athrodar looked over to Tanadia who smiled at the Tauren. "My daughter isn't built like her older sister or my wife. She isn't a warrior, she is a priestess, which is why her hands are either in mine or wrapped around my arm, because she is either trying to help my need to do something with my hands, or she wants to hold onto me for comfort." He smiled at his daughter, kissing the top of her head. "Plus she's not built like a warrior. She's soft and squishy and can't lift a sword."

Tanadia gasped, falling for Athrodar's bait and slapping him on the arm. "I can pick up a sword!"

Athrodar grinned and threw an arm around her. "It's a shame we don't have a sword to prove it."

Tanadia pouted and looked away from her father. "I can pick up a sword..." She muttered, making the group laugh lightly at her. "This isn't a fun topic of conversation."

Athrodar pulled her in close and kissed the top of her head again. "Okay, we'll change it."

Tanadia began to smile once more when her head rested under her father's arm. "Thank you."


	38. Chapter 38

**The Deciever**

"My favourite niece."

Victoria smiled when Rhonin picked her up and span her around, being placed down after begging him to do so and then recieving a hug from Vereesa who stood beside him. "Hi aunty." She whispered closing her eyes as she melted into the hug.

"How are you?" Vereesa asked her, looking over to her sister who was hugging her twin nephews. "And more importantly, how is she?"

"I'm getting there. I don't cry as often now than I did last week, but it still hurts to think about them."

Vereesa nodded and gave her a reassuring smile. "It will, but we are here if ever you need to talk to someone." She looked passed her niece and towards her sister. "And I ask again, how is she?"

"She has been without dad for over a week now." Victoria turned to look at her mother who was distracted by her cousins. "She has her moments of stability, but staying in one place, far away from where he is and not looking for him is destroying her. She thinks I don't hear her, but she cries to herself more often than I do now."

Vereesa sighed and lowered her eyes to the her hands, taking hold of Victoria's. "She doesn't like to show these emotions to anyone. She believes it makes her look weak."

Victoria saw her aunt smile at her, though it had traces of sadness about it. "Once we get Athrodar and my sister back, she won't hide her emotions any more. She will show them to my dad."

Vereesa laughed lightly and began to nod at her niece. "That's true." She placed a hand on her face. "Just look after her whilst you're both back home, okay?"

"I will" Victoria told her, hugging her aunt once more. "She will have my brother and sisters too, so she might be a little distracted, but I will be there should she start to break down."

"Good, thank you." Vereesa kissed her niece on the cheek just as Sylvanas walked towards them.

"Ready to leave?" Sylvanas asked, placing a hand on her daughter's back.

"I am." Victoria nodded.

Vereesa watched her sister move an arm around her daughter as they both walked odwn the steps of the Violet Citadel. "I am worried for her, Rhonin." She whispered, leaning on her husband's arm. "My sister doesn't show her feelings unless she wants to and I fear it's eating her up inside."

"She will be fine, my love." Rhonin whispered back to her, kissing the top of her head. "We both know your sister is strong enough to keep those feelings inside until she finds Athrodar." He smiled down at his wife who continued to watch her sister and niece walk down the steps of the Violet Citadel. "And we both know she will find him before anyone else. Those two are connected in ways not even my studies can understand."

Vereesa smiled up at her husband and kissed him. "They love each other like a couple of horny teenagers, my love. With five kids between them..." She let out a small laugh and shook her head. "They will always find each other because they can't seem to live without each other."

Rhonin smiled down at his wife. "I can't live without you."

Vereesa pulled his head down to give him a longer kiss. "Nor I you, my love."

* * *

"So tell me, what does a former King of Stormwind do after he has retired?"

Athrodar looked up at the Tauren and smirked at him. "He spends a lot of time with his Queen." He placed down the big rock he was carrying, looking back to Tanadia who was walking beside George. "And his family. He gets to be with them all the time, away from any threats."

"Until he gets called away to find his daughters." Hroki said, placing down the much bigger rock, at least double the size of Athrodar's. "How is she doing?"

"She is going at this day by day. She is still young. Far, far too young to be here and to have some human sniffing after her."

Hroki watched Athrodar begin to make his way towards them, placing a hand on his arm to stop him. "Don't. Sort this out when we're not all enslaved by these demons and one wrong step away from being sacrificed."

"Fine..." Athrodar muttered, pulled his arm free from the Tauren's grasp. "But I will be keeping her away from him whenever possible."

Just as Tanadia and George put their rocks near the portal that was already halfway until completion, a demonic horn echoed through the camp and made everyone stop moving. "What is that?" Athrodar asked when he made his way towards his daughter, having his hand taken by her immediately.

"The Overseer is coming." George muttered. "He is deciding who will be sacrificed this week to feed the smaller portals."

Tanadia squeezed her father's hand when a group of demons stood in front of all of them. "Don't let them take me, papa." She whispered, trying to hide behind him.

"I won't." He told her, feeling his daughter hide behind him as press her head to his arm, looking at the demons in front of them.

"You." The Overseer said, pointing to a dwarf. "You." A Draenei. "... And you." He pointed to Tanadia.

"No... No!" Tanadia tried to fight off the two felguards ripping her away from her father, reaching out with one hand to take hold of Athrodar's. "Papa!"

"Stop!" Athrodar yelled, trying to pull the Felguards off her too. "Take me instead!"

"Curious..." A booming voice rang out, stopping the felguards in their tracks. "Such sacrifice to save such a weak girl."

"She is my daughter!" Athrodar yelled at the voice, pulling Tanadia out the hands of the two felguards who stopped what they were doing the moment the voice echoed around the camp, hugging her tightly as she wrapped her arms around him and began to cry into his chest. "Please, if you are going to take any of us, take me instead of her."

There was an ominous chuckle that echoed through the camp, making Tanadia hold onto her father even tighter. "Bring them both to me. I wish to speak to the elf who challenges my orders."

"It's okay, we're okay." Athrodar whispered to his daughter, walking with six Felguards to the owner of the booming voice, unknowingly saving the Draenei and the Dwarf in the process as the Felguards taking them away were taking him to their supposed leader. "I will try to get you out of here, I promise."

"I don't want to die, papa." Tanadia whispered, holding onto her father like her life depended on it, which at this moment it definately did.

"Step through." The Overseer said, leading the six Felguards along with Tanadia and Athrodar.

Athrodar looked at the swirling green and black portal, squeezing his daughter's shoulder with the hand that was wrapped around her to keep her close to him. "Stay by me the entire time." He told her, walking through the portal with his arm around her still, walking onto one of the Legion Ships he had seen above The Broken Shore and looking at a giant, red Draenei with fiery green eyes, claw like fingers and tattered wings. "Kil'jaeden..."

"So you know my name." The voice echoed, turning to face Athrodar and Tanadia. "And I know yours. At least, I know your family name." He began to grin menacingly at him. "Sunblade."

Tanadia held onto her father when Kil'jaeden began to cackle, making his way over to the two of them. "Leave him alone!" She yelled when the commander of the Burning Legion stood in front of them, towering above both elves.

"Your family has grown weak, Sunblade. Your forces were strong, lead by your grandfather and his father." Kil'jaeden looked down at Tanadia who was trying to hide from him. "I can make you all strong again." He began to summon a portal of some sort in front of them, though Athrodar knew he wouldn't go to its destination if he was to walk through it. It was more of a vision, a mirror into a specific place on Azeroth. "Or I can crush your entire heritage within a matter of minutes."

Athrodar's eyes widened when he recognised the image. It was Windrunner Village, peaceful and untainted by war. "No... Don't hurt them!"

"Then join me, Sunblade. Your family commanded armies for the Burning Legion, you can becoming a powerful commander by my side." The image of Windrunner Village changed to something more... beautiful. Athrodar and Sylvanas, along with their entire family stood on the balcony of a huge palace. Armies and Civilians standing on the streets below them, cheering and crying out their names not in fear, but in awe of them. They worshipped them and would even die for them if need be. "This is just a taste of what will be your future should you join us."

"It..." Athrodar reached out towards the image, seeing his wife, his Sylvanas, look so radient. The image made her look so beautiful that the word paled in comparison to the image of her. And his family... They were all beautiful, the whole scene was beautiful. "This would be my future...?" He asked quietly, stepping towards the image. "Me and my family... Above everyone else."

"It will be your future, Sunblade." Kil'jaeden purred, slowly grinning with every step Athrodar took towards the image.

Tanadia however, watching her father step towards the image, was aghast at what she saw. The image didn't show whatever she thought Athrodar could see, but instead a world in flames, countless lives being tortured and burned, horns, claws, wings and many characteristics of demons were sprouted on her father and their family. The screams and cries weren't of awe and love for them, but of fear and terror. The people were pleading with them whilst the army below tortured, killed and enslaved the masses.

"Papa." Tanadia said softly, placing her hand on Athrodar's arm and slowly dragging him away from the image. "Listen to me, it's not real." She told him, still pulling him away from the image. "It's not real, none of it is. It's a lie to trick you into joining the Burning Legion, Papa."

Athrodar looked back at his daughter, seeing her pleading eyes staring back at him and blinking hard to clear his vision of the lies the image was showing him, looking back to it and seeing the truth, Tanadia's truth. "The Deciever..." He muttered, looking over to Kil'jaeden who looked smug more than annoyed he didn't fall for his trick. "It's all a lie." He said, hearing the Eredar Lord chuckle.

"Very well, you've made your decision." Kil'jaeden moved his clawed hand towards the image of Athrodar's future, turning it slowly and changing it back to an image of Windrunner Village. "So I will make mine." He said, chuckling menacingly at the look of horror on both Athrodar's and Tanadia's face. "Your entire village will be wiped off the map."

* * *

Sylvanas and Victoria made their way to Windrunner Village from Silvermoon City, riding slowly just to take in the forests of Eversong before hitting Southern Quel'thalas and following the usual road to their home. "I have missed this. The trip home through the forests. Safe forests at that." Victoria looked over to her mother who smiled and nodded her head in agreement.

"You get used to it. It never gets old though, it's just... there." Sylvanas smiled at Victoria who looked around the forests they were in. "It does begin to feel like home very quickly however, it makes me excited to see home whenever your father and I walk through here."

Victoria glanced over to her mother who grew silent the moment she finished speaking, seeing her stare off into the distance and reaching her hand over to her. "We will get him back, mom."

"I know, honey." Sylvanas whispered, squeezing her daughter's hand. "Let's just get home and... Oh no."

Victoria frowned at her mother, following her gaze and noticing smoke rising in the distance. "Is that..?"

"Home." Sylvanas muttered, kicking her horse into action and racing towards Windrunner Village to find out the reasoning behind the huge plumes of smoke with Victoria following her closely behind.

As they reached the outskirts of the village, they saw many of the building engulfed in flames as well as bodies of many faithful followers of theres and several demons dotted around the village. "No..." Victoria breathed, climbing off her horse and reaching for her bow. "Not here, not now."

Sylvanas climbed off her horse too, taking out both her swords and running to Windrunner Manor, kicking open the door when it wouldn't open and looking around the first two rooms. "Tahnir!? Alleria!?" She ran into the first bedroom and found it empty. "Cedani, Illana!?" She screamed, moving towards Illana's bedroom and also finding it empty. "Tahnir!? Alleria!?" She yelled again, running up the stairs and finding a few dead demons and two of her former royal rangers. "Illana!?"

Whilst Sylvanas was looking for her children, Victoria was helping Seliana and the remaining Royal Rangers take on the demons that continued to torment the village. "What the happened!?" She asked, standing beside Seliana who had a cut across her eye. "Where did they come from?"

"We don't know, my Lady." Seliana told her, looking back to the remaining civilians who were all huddled in one house, guarded by a couple of Silvermoon Rangers who were patrolling by the village at the time. "We were going about our day as normal then the next thing we knew, we were attacked by demons." She looked over to Windrunner Manor after seeing Sylvanas return there. "We don't know where you brother and sisters are. Nor have we seen Illana. Where's Athrodar?"

"Taken." Victoria told her. "Along with Tanadia. We returned to spend some time with our family whilst the scouts we have sent out look for the demons that took them." She gripped her bow tightly in her hand. "Looks like that plan is out the window now."

"Well I'm glad you're back, my Lady." Seliana told her. "We could use all the help we can get." She flinched when the sound of a crashing infernal echoed around the village. "They keep dropping from the sky, no matter how quickly we take it down."

"Then we will keep fighting until they give up." Victoria told her, grouping up with the remaining rangers and taking the fight to whatever demon they could find.

"Illana!?" Sylvanas yelled again, kicking open the door to her's and Athrodar's room and hearing the faint sound of crying. "Cedani!?" She yelled, running towards where she heard the crying coming from and opening the closet doors, letting out a long sigh of relief and dropping to her knees when she saw Alleria holding her sister in her arms whilst Tahnir held onto his bow, aiming an arrow at his mother before removing the projectile from where it sat. "Oh, my babies." She cried, having her son and daughter run to her, hugging all three of her children and Alleria still held onto her baby sister.

"Mom!" Tahnir cried, hugging her tightly before his sister could get to her. "Grandmama told us to hide. She was right outside the room when I heard fighting." He told her, burying his head in her neck as Sylvanas held onto all three of them with her life. "I don't know where she is."

"I will go find her." Sylvanas told them, kissing all of them on their cheeks. "Stay here and keep the door shut. I will be back as soon as I can."

"Where's papa?" Alleria asked, making her mother stop just before she left the room.

"He's... Busy with aunty Vereesa and uncle Rhonin." Sylvanas told them, smiling to keep them calm and so they would believe her. "He loves you all and wishes he could be here... At least if this place wasn't being attacked. I will talk to him once this is all over, though he might still be busy." She looked over to Tahnir who she saw wasn't buying all of her story. "Stay here and protect both your sisters a little longer. I will be back as soon as I can, I just need to find Grandmama."

Sylvanas looked around the entire house, trying to find her mother-in-law and coming across something she found odd. Two demon bodies in a room but nothing else, except the window was open they were laying beside, slowly walking over to it and looking out the window and down to the ground, gasping and covering her mouth when she found the one thing she feared. "No... Oh Athrodar, baby... No..."

She closed her eyes at the sight of Illana's body on the floor under the window, resting her head in her hands and taking a deep breath to keep herself calm. "You didn't deserve this... Mother."

Sylvanas stood up and took another deep breath, blinking hard and wiping her eyes before turning around and making her way back to her children, closing the door behind her and sinking down onto the floor, covering her face with her hands and crying to herself, being interrupted by Tahnir and Alleria who both slowly made their way over to their mother and sat beside her, hugging her from either side. This made Sylvanas smile a little, looking over to her bed where Allleria had placed Cedani so the three of them could hug.

"Did you find her?" Tahnir asked, hugging his mother's arm. "Did you find Grandmama?"

Sylvanas nodded her head slowly. "I did..." She muttered, holding onto her son and daughter tightly. "She uhm... The demons got her... But they were killed too."

Alleria hugged her other arm. "Is she sleeping now?"

"She is." Sylvanas told her, kssing her daughter on the top of the head. "Grandmama is sleeping." She whispered, not stopping the tear from rolling down her cheek. "She is sleeping peacefully now."

They stayed in the same spot for a few more minutes before Cedani began to cry again, Sylvanas standing up and making her way over to her baby and picking her up to try and stop her crying. She had almost succeeded in the task when Victoria made it to them, looking over to her mother and down at her siblings who were safe with their mother, noticing a missing someone. "Where's Illana?" She asked, looking up at Sylvanas who shook her head at her daughter. "Damn it... Not another one."

Sylvanas gently rocked Cedani back and forth, watching Victoria slowly make her way over to her and drop to her knees, dropping her bow at the same time and hugging her mother's leg, listening to her gently cry into said leg. "It's okay..." She whispered to her eldest, knowing this just made things a whole lot worse for her. "Everything is going to be okay..."

* * *

Athrodar closed his eyes and more or less meditated in the cage he had been locked in shortly after the _meeting _with Kil'jaeden along with Tanadia who was laying curled up in the cage opposite him. "I suppose this is better than being sacrificed." Tanadia muttered, hugging herself as she remained curled up in a tight ball.

"In a way, it is." Athrodar agreed, keeping his eyes closed as he focused on keeping himself calm. "But at the same time, we could be sacrificed the next time the Overseer comes by."

Tanadia sighed, drawing circles with her finger in front of her. "Thanks for reminding me, papa. What are you doing anyway?"

"Trying to focus on not losing myself to anger." He told his daughter, slowly spinning the ring around on his finger. "We are locked in cages, far from our family who are being attacked by demons as we speak. So I'm sorry if what I'm doing isn't trying to escape, because right now I am on the brink of giving up if I find out those demons have succeeded in wiping out the majority our family and I am trying to distract myself by going to my happy place."

"Which is... where?" Tanadia now asked, wanting to go there too at this moment in time.

"The beaches of Quel'Danas. Sylvanas and I spent a couple of weeks there with your brother and sister. Not Victoria however, she was running Stormwind." He began to smile when he remembered one day in particular. "Sylvanas was building a sand castle for Tahnir and Alleria when a big wave came crashing down on both her and the castle, reducing it to nothing but a pile of sand. Tahnir and Alleria laughed so much whilst I thanked a nearby Shaman for helping me make my children laugh." He began to laugh a little at the memory, keeping his eyes closed to try and keep the reality of his situation away from the memory. "I still don't think Sylvanas knows how it happened to this day."

"I wished I could have been there." Tanadia muttered, looking over to her father. "Sounds like a fun day out."

Athrodar smiled and opened his eyes, looking over to his daughter. "It was. Perhaps we can do it again some day. With you and your mother there, my mother, Sylvanas and our children." He looked down at the ring on his finger. "I would love for us all to be one big family. I get that your mother doesn't like being around Sylvanas and I because she still feels something for me, but it's a dream I would want come true."

"I hope it comes true, too." Tanadia said, smiling at her father. "I want to be with my entire family, on a beach, soaking in the sun and playing with my brother and sisters." Her eyes sparkled with hope, making Athrodar smile warmly at her. "I want to be cuddled by my mama and papa. As well as Sylvanas when mama is distracted by my siblings."

"You know Sylvanas loves you like you are her own daughter. She would love to have you with us back home so she can watch your studies mold you into the amazing priestess we know you are going to be." Athrodar looked over to the sign of movement to his right, lowering his head to the floor of his cage when two demons began to patrol between him and Tanadia.

"Keep your mouths shut." One of them spat, making the other laugh.

"Or we'll have to take those tongues of yours to force you to stay quiet." The one that laughed said, laughing darkly some more.

The first demon rattled Tanadia's cage, making her curl up into a ball as far away from them as possible, forcing both demons to laugh some more before walking away from them.

"I hate it here." The priestess muttered, holding herself tightly in a ball. "I just want to go home."

"So do I, baby." Athrodar whispered to her. "So do I."


	39. Chapter 39

**The Demon Camp**

Sylvanas walked around her village, heart in throat at the losses it had endured from the invasion of the Legion and watching several of the remaining rangers carry the bodies of the fallen to the graveyard near the village, stopping Seliana when she saw her carrying her mother-in-law. "Wait, please." She told her, looking down at Illana and placing a hand on her cheek, leaning forward and kissing her on the forehead. "Be at rest now, Illana. I will tell Athrodar about what happened here when we find him. About how you defended our children from the demons invading our home."

Seliana smiled a little at her former Warchief and Queen. "You should take your family back to Dalaran with you, my Lady. This place is going to need a lot of maintenance, which it will hopefully get when the patrol from Silvermoon returns with Halduron and several of his rangers as well as the builders."

Sylvanas sighed, stroking Illana's hair and looking over to all four of her children with Victoria keeping them company as the eldest by holding Cedani in her arms whilst talking to Tahnir and Alleria. "Vereesa will take them in with open arms." She laughed lightly when she thought about it, having Seliana hand Illana over to a couple other rangers and walking beside Sylvanas as they made their way to her children. "She will also try to steal Cedani from me, so it will be fun to fend her off my beautiful baby."

Victoria looked up at her mother, handing her Cedani when she was close enough and stroking her sister's cheek with her finger when she returned to her mother's arms. "But it's okay for her to snatch up your other three children." She told her mother.

"That's because they're not as cute as you." Sylvanas told the baby in her arms with a cutesy voice, rubbing her nose against Cedani's.

"When are we leaving for Dalaran?" Victoria asked her mother, standing as close to her as possible so she could feel comforted by her presence. "I want to be with our family and since this place seems out of bounds for the time being, I reckon we should leave as soon as possible."

"We will." Sylvanas told her, looking over to Victoria and giving her a warm smile. "Just find us a mage and we will leave the second they cast a portal to Dalaran."

"Will do." Victoria said, kissing her mother on the cheek and leaving to find a mage.

Vereesa paced back and forth in the portal room, biting the nail on her thumb as she waited rather impatiently for her sister to show up after being told everything that had happened a couple hours after they left Dalaran.

"Oh thank the Titans!" She cried when Sylvanas stepped through a portal with Cedani in her arms and the rest of her family following closely behind. She ran to her sister and hugged her the second Victoria took her baby sister off her mother. "I heard what happened. I'm sorry about Illana and our home..."

"Tell me you have some good news, Little Moon." Sylvanas muttered, holding onto her sister tightly. "Tell me you've found him."

Vereesa pulled back and smiled at Sylvanas. "We have found something. I can't say for certain what we found, but our scouts don't want to get too close because of the amount of demons in the area. They arrived shortly after you left and I was going to send out more scouts to make sure there was a demon encampment there, but then we heard about the attack and I was waiting for you to return here with our family so I could tell you."

Sylvanas looked back to Victoria who gave her mother a single nod of approval. "Go. I can look after my brother and sisters." She smiled at her warmly. "I'll be fine, mom."

"I know you will." She whispered to her daughter, placing a hand on her cheek and rubbing her thumb across it. "I'll be back as soon as possible." She told Tahnir, crouching down in front of him and planting a kiss on his cheek. "Look after your sisters, okay? They will look to you for help." She smiled and hugged her son. "Even Victoria."

"I will, mom." Tahnir told her, smiling and closing his eyes as he always felt safe in Sylvanas' arms, something she had noticed and loved as it reminded her of herself when she was younger with her sister Alleria. Smiling a litte wider when she also felt the same when Athrodar held her and began to feel a lump in her throat when she began to miss her other half greatly.

"Okay!" Sylvanas said, standing up and wiping her eyes. "Where is this camp?" She asked, looking over to her sister. "I am going to find out myself if Athrodar is there or not."

"And I'm coming with you, Lady Moon." Vereesa said, smiling at her. "Rhonin and I both will. My rangers too, we will all help you with finding him. If he's there, we will get him back together."

Sylvanas smiled and threw herself at her sister, stunning the younger Windrunner sister a little with the sudden and swift action, hugging her older sister tightly and burying her head into her ncek. "Thank you, Little Moon." Sylvanas whispered.

"You're welcome, Sylvie." Vereesa whispered back to her, using her pet name for her older sister whenever something emotional was affecting her. "We will find him together, I promise."

* * *

"Out."

Athrodar looked over to the demon who opened his cage, catching a glimpse of Tanadia who was forced onto the floor with her arm out in front of her. "What are you doing to her?"

"She tried to fight." The demon told him, grinning at the elf. "So we are going to give her five lashings."

"Give them to me, leave her alone." Athrodar told the demon, watching as a second one cracked out a whip and looked over to the first one. "Double it if you have to, just don't hurt her."

The first demon grinned some more. "Fine." They looked back to the second demon and nodded over to Athrodar. "Ten for this one. Cuff her wrists and take her back to the others."

Tanadia was picked up and was pushed towards the rest of the captured warriors, looking back over her shoulder towards her father and was tied to his cage, tunic torn off his chest and back facing the two demons, receiving his first lashing of the ten and closing her eyes when she heard him groan at the immense pain, trying to keep as silent as possible to stay strong in front of his daughter.

When she was brought back to the rest of the captured warriors, she was approached by Hroki who she saw as a friend in such an evil place. "How are you? What happened to you both?" He asked her, watching her shake her head. "That bad?"

"They tried to corrupt papa..." Tanadia muttered, sitting down in the corner of the room she found herself in, curling up into a ball and looking away from all the stares she was getting. "And I think he almost fell for the lies their leader was weaving."

"Where is he now?" Hroki asked the priestess, sitting down beside her.

"He is being whipped because of me." Tanadia told him, hugging herself. "He took my punishment from me and begged for double so I wouldn't be harmed."

"Even in a place like this, your father is trying to protect you." Hroki smiled and looked over to where the demons had come from with Tanadia. "You are lucky to have him and I promise I will help you both escape, even if I have to stay behind."

Tanadia felt the Tauren place a hand on her back, feeling comforted by the action but not making it known as she remained curled up in the corner of the room. "I'm not leaving unless we are all leaving." She told Hroki, looking at one of the cracks in the stone floor under her. "It doesn't feel right otherwise."

Hroki looked over to the entrance of the room all of them were kept in, watching two demons throw Athrodar onto the floor and shut the door behind them, looking over to Tanadia who stood up and ran over to her father.

"I'm fine." Athrodar told his daughter, wincing when she hugged him and touched one of the many wounds he had received from the whippings.

"I'm sorry, papa." She told him, eyes watering whilst she looked at her father and having her ear twitch when she heard the sound of the door locking, something that was never done the entire time she was here. "Did they just lock the door?" She asked, having several of the other captured warriors asking the same thing.

"They are leaving." Athrodar told them, struggling to stand up but managing it and slowly walking towards one of the walls to keep himself standing. "I saw them all clearing out of the area, leaving the portals half built and retreating back to the Tomb of Sargeras."

"Why?" Hroki asked, walking over to Athrodar whilst several of the captured warriors began to bang on the door and tried to open it. "Are they leaving us in here to starve?"

"I don't know." Athrodar said, slowly sitting down onto the floor but making sure his back wasn't resting on anything. "All I know is, they were in a hurry and slaughtered anyone still outside." He groaned when he eventually sat down, smiling warmly at his daughter who sat down on her knees in front of him. "We will get out of here. Just... Give me time to think of something."

"I'll help them try to open the door." Hroki said, bowing his head to both Athrodar and Tanadia before making his way towards said door and ramming into it with his arm.

"Maybe they are retreating because help is coming." Tanadia said trying to get her holy magic to work in the room they were in and cursing under her breath when it remained magic dampened. She looked back up to her father who raised an eyebrow at her use of language. "Sorry... It's been a strange day, I didn't mean to swear."

Athrodar chuckled and kissed his daughter's hand. "I believe you might be right with the help coming." He said, watching her smile at him. "It will be your mother, Sylvanas, Victoria and all of our family and friends, I know it."

Tanadia laid down beisde her father, resting her head on his lap and closing her eyes when he began to lightly stroke her hair. "I'm sorry they hurt you, papa." She whispered to him.

"I know you are." He whispered to her in return. "You told you are and I am going to tell you that you don't have to be sorry. I took your punishment because I don't want my little girl to be hurt." He leaned forward and held in his groan as his back felt like it was on fire, kissing Tanadia on the top of her head and stroking her hair shortly after. "I don't want any of our family to be hurt."

"We won't, papa. When our family get here, we will be reunited with them and heading home." Tanadia smiled at the thought. "We will be safe with them."

* * *

"It's just up here."

Vereesa looked back at her sister who was talking to Thalina, the Magister intercepting them just before they left and telling them she was coming too. "This way." She told them all, having Sylvanas follow her almost instantly, quickly being followed by Thalina and then Rhonin with a handful of his mages and Vereesa's rangers shortly after.

"It seems quiet." Sylvanas whispered to her younger sister, walking side by side with her as they walked through the forests of Val'sharah. "What if they know we're coming?"

Vereesa shook her head, knowing her sister knew they didn't know but also knowing she wasn't thinking straight as she was more worried about finding her husband than thinking like the Ranger-General she knew. "It will be by some miracle that they know we're coming. I think we've got stealth on our side."

"Good." Sylvanas told her, walking into what looked to be the remains of a Legion camp. "This must be it, but it looks abandoned."

"Everyone fan out." Vereesa commanded, looking up at Rhonin who stood beside her. "Can you sense any magic that could be cloaking them?"

"I can't." Rhonin told her, placing a hand on the lower part of her back. "But they were here and recently too. The fel magic they used is still strong in the air."

"General." One of Vereesa's rangers called out, having both Windrunner sisters along with Thalina and Rhonin make their way over to them.

Sylvanas looked down at the piles of bodies stacked up in the far corner of the camp, covering her nose from the stench of it along with everyone else. "They slaughtered them all and left them here to rot."

"They're not there..." Thalina muttered, shaking her head at the same time. "I know they're not there, they can't be in that pile."

"Keep looking." Vereesa said quietly, walking away from the bodies. "This is just the first camp, but it's also the only one we have come across. If they were here, they might still be alive somewhere."

Sylvanas clutched onto the necklace her sister gave her, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath once she was away from the pile of bodies. "Where are you?" She whispered to herself, opening her eyes and looking around the camp. "You have to be here, my love."

"This door is locked!" Thalina yelled , looking back at the rest of their group and trying to shake the door open, only stopping when she heard shouting coming from inside. "There are people locked in here!" She yelled now, pressing her ear to the door. "I think I can open it."

"Let me." Rhonin said, placing his hand on the door and using arcane magic to unlock whatever spell was cast on it to keep everyone inside. "This is a strong spell, someone with a lot of knowledge in magic was here."

Sylvanas watched patiently as her brother-in-law worked on unlocking the door, hearing a distinct clank as the door slowly opened, being pushed wide as several people from all different races burst out of the building. "Some of them look starved." She noted, watching a couple of mages open up portals to Dalaran the second the door was open.

"Everyone return to the city!" Rhonin yelled over all the commotion, watched as many of them began to walk through the portals.

"Can you see him?" Vereesa asked, standing beside her sister.

Sylvanas shook her head, scanning through the crowds to find her husband. "He's not here."

Thalina looked through the crowds too, placing her hand over the locket that had a picture of her daughter in it and holding onto the necklace tightly. "You're here, tell me you're here." She whispered to herself, walking passed a couple of the people pouring out the building and looking the crowd of people who were still inside. "Tanadia!?" She yelled, hoping her daughter could hear her.

"Mama?" Tanadia whispered, looking up from where she was laying and standing up shortly after. "Mama!?" She yelled again when she heard her name being called, running out one of the joining rooms and into the main room, having Thalina collapse to her knees when they locked eyes and running over to her. "Mama!"

Sylvanas heard Tanadia's voice yell out for her mother, running into the previously locked building and looking around for her husband. "Is your father here?" She asked Tanadia who was holding onto her mother tightly.

"He's in that room, injured but alive." Tanadia told her, nodding towards the room Athrodar was in.

He looked up at the figure standing in the doorway, smiling up at Sylvanas who slowly walked towards him. "Sylvie..." He muttered, groaning when he tried to stand up and being caught just as he was about to collapse forward by his wife. "I'm not in the best of shapes."

Sylvanas pulled back a little to stare into her husband's eyes, kissing him hard on the lips after a couple of seconds and placing both hands on either side of his face to keep their lips locked together. "I don't want you to ever split the group up again unless we're together." She told him, pressing her head against his. "I have some bad news."

"What happened? Is our home still there?"

Sylvanas pulled back and looked at him, raising both her eyebrows at him for asking a question she didn't even knew he had any knowledge about. "How do you know the demons attacked our home?"

"I was given an option. Join the Legion like my grandfather and his father, or watch as our home was burnt to the ground by the Legion." Athrodar looked into Sylvanas' eyes. "Is it still standing?"

"Most of it, yes." Sylvanas told him, keeping her hands on his face. "But... The demons, they killed your mother."

Whilst Sylvanas moved forward and hugged him again, Athrodar stared off into the distance, finding it hard to believe his mother was killed by the demons that invaded their home. "Are... Are you sure?" He asked, feeling Sylvanas nod her head to his question. "Was it quick?"

"I believe so." Sylvanas whispered to him, kissing her husband on the cheek and not letting go of him as she kept her arms wrapped around his neck and his head on her chest. "She locked our children in a wardrobe and told them to hide. If she didn't do that, they may have been killed as well."

Athrodar moved his arms around his wife, groaning as the wounds he had recieved from the whipping were still fresh, open and felt like they were on fire. "She is the reason they are still alive?" He asked, feeling Sylvanas nod her head once more. "I want to return home, to our family." He muttered, feeling his heart constrict all of a sudden when the news of his mother's death began to sink in. "They are home, right?"

"They're in Dalaran with Victoria." Sylvanas told him, burying her head in his neck and letting out a long breath. "I was so worried you were taken somewhere and killed."

"Minus the whipping I got, I am fine." Athrodar told her, looking her in the eyes when she pulled back and shocked with what he had just said. "They were going to whip Tanadia for trying to fight them when they kept us both in cages. I told them to hurt me instead and let her go, so they did." He closed his eyes when she looked at his back and gently placed a hand on one of the long lashings he had got. "Everyone's magic was dampened in here, so I couldn't get a healer."

"We are here now." She told him, kissing him on the cheek again and helping him stand up. "And you will be with our family again."

Tanadia watched Athrodar and Sylvanas walk passed her, stopping them when she let go of her mother and ran to them, hugging Sylvanas tightly and recieving a hug in return. "Thank you for coming."

Sylvanas smiled and kissed the top of her head as she was both happy that the young priestess was alive and that she had ran to her so she could hug her. "I was always going to come find you both." She whispered to the priestess, the hug confirming her love for her daughter-in-law as she always saw her as her own, despite knowing she was Thalina's. "A little birdy told me you want to come stay with us now? That you want to be around your brother and sisters."

"I do." Tanadia told her, smiling up at her stepmom. I don't want to be away from our family any more. Plus I can study being a priestess near the Sunwell."

Thalina walked towards them, placing a hand on Athrodar's arm whilst Sylvanas and Tanadia spoke to each other. "How are you feeling?" She asked, getting a laugh from him in return.

"As well as one can be after spending a week here, getting a whipping so his daughter didn't and eating next to no food." Athrodar smiled at the Magister. "Come back to Windrunner Village with us. Tanadia wants to, but she will only go if you want to go too."

Thalina looked over to Sylvanas and Tanadia, watching her daughter talk to her 'enemy' like they were mother and daughter, but also like they were best friends. Though the last couple of weeks to a month she had been thinking Sylvanas more of a long lost sister than an enemy, even if she was with Athrodar. "She has hinted towards it for the last few months. I suppose we could..."

"Great." Athrodar looked over to Sylvanas who walked back over to him to hold him up. "Let's get back to Dalaran so I can rest and see our family."


	40. Chapter 40

**A/N: Just a quick message to say that I have begun to upload once a week again. I have been trying to get two chapters out a week (Like before) but I have hit a wall and I'm trying to find a way to get to the next stage of this story without huge time jumps. Also, it's my Birthday today (Friday) so I have been aiming to get this one out now and working on the next chapter whilst you're probably reading this one. So enjoy and I hope you can sit through the next few slower chapters to come before we start to get the Legion's invasion up and running again. (I also promise to stop killing off so many characters one after another so often!)  
**

**Plans To Return Home**

A week had passed since Athrodar and Tanadia had returned to Dalaran, giving them enough time to be healed, fed and surrounded by their family. Although his back hadn't fully healed, Athrodar didn't care as he spent most of his time playing with his children, laying in bed and holding his wife who didn't want to be parted from him or, as per Liadrin's instructions when she got to Dalaran, sleeping most of the day so his body could also naturally heal.

"Look on the bright side, you're with your family all the time and you don't have to leave this room at all." Liadrin smirked at Athrodar who rolled his eyes. "Relax, big guy. You got injured protecting my favourite priestess, I am just trying to do what is best for you."

"I know." Athrodar said, stroking his daughter Alleria's hair who slept beside him. "I've just spent the last five or so years in one place and now I have had a taste of fighting once more, only to be left in a room to recover."

"Better than being dead." Liadrin told him, looking over her shoulder when she heard Sylvanas coming back into the room after leaving to put Cedani to sleep. "Besides, you're in Dalaran with Rhonin and Vereesa giving you quite possibly the best rooms in the Violet Citadel."

"I hope he's not giving you too much trouble." Sylvanas said, watching Liadrin stand up off the edge of the bed she was sitting on.

"Not at all. Just making sure he is healing at a steady rate." Liadrin patted Athrodar on the leg. "He's all yours now whilst I go find my priestess."

Sylvanas walked over to Athrodar once the Paladin had left, laying down on the other side of Alleria and having their daughter sleep between both her and Athrodar. "How are you feeling?" She whispered, trying not to wake up Alleria.

Athrodar closed his eyes when he felt Sylvanas begin to stroke his hair. "Like I could sleep all day."

Sylvanas smiled at him whilst he kept his eyes closed at her touch, placing her free hand on his hand and holding onto it. "Okay, but first you have to make some room so I can squeeze in between you and our daughter." She told him, slowly climbing out of bed as he back up a little. "Thank you." She said, climbing on top of him as a means to get between him and their daughter. "If we were alone right now..."

Athrodar placed both of his hands on her waist, moving them up slowly and grinning when he saw her enjoyment in the simple movement. "I'd be doing anything but resting." He told her, rolling onto his side when she slipped in the middle of him and their daughter. "Though I think you want to be as close to me as possible right now."

"I do." Sylvanas whispered, leaning back against Athrodar and feeling his arms wrap around her, smiling the whole time as she was back in her favourite place. "Even more so when I'm in your arms."

"Is that so?" Athrodar asked, planting a trail of kisses along her neck and making her giggle when one of his hands travelled to her stomach. "Because I missed you whilst we were seperated and all I could think about was holding you again. Leaving a trail of kisses all along your body and having you lay there, enjoying every second of it because you missed me greatly too."

Sylvanas bit the bottom of her lip, turning slightly to look at her husband. "Mmm... That would be fun."

"It would." Athrodar agreed, stroking Sylvanas' hair and leaning down to kiss her lightly on the lips, having her place a hand on his cheek to keep him there. "But we also have company. Sleeping company who I haven't had time alone with since before we left home since everyone enjoys having her around because she never complains."

Sylvanas rolled back around to face their daughter Alleria and stroked her cheek with one of her fingers. "That's because she's an angel. She is shy and hides from new people, but she is kind and loving to her big brother and always wants to help out looking after her little sister." She smiled brightly at her daughter who instinctively moved closer to her mother, moving and arm around her and pulling her in for a hug whilst she slept. "She also wants to better her brother in anything he does that she can do, which is why I know she will be a ranger like he wants to be, only she will strive to be better."

"Sounds like someone I know." Athrodar whispered in her ear, planting a kiss on it shortly after. "You trained harder just to beat your sister. We both know it and it shows as you were Ranger-General of Silvermoon and a better ranger." He kissed her on the cheek this time, moving both his arms around her and nuzzling her neck. "Unless everything you have told me is a lie?"

"Of course they're not lies." Sylvanas told him, placing a hand over one of his. "If my sister hit the bullseye on a target, I would make sure my arrow split hers, or at the very least had two arrows on the same bullseye." She smiled and used her other hand to stroke her daughter's hair. "I hope she will be the same."

"Oh she will." Athrodar told her. "Only so she can protect this family. She will push herself to be the best she can possibly be to keep Cedani safe, to beat her brother in whatever games they will play." He kissed her on the cheek and gazed at his daughter. "She will work hard to be Victoria's General too. She will want to be with her big sister in the city, keeping her safe too and the many thousands of civilians that will look to her for protection."

"Not a lot of pressure on her at all." Sylvanas told him, both laughing lightly as they kept their attention on Alleria. "She will do great."

* * *

Victoria sat on one of the many benches located around Dalaran, watching the city go about its business as usual and taking in the small pocket of peace she had found herself. The last month has had its ups and down with very little rest at all which had given this fairly young Queen a good test of her resolve. She has lost friends and loved ones, suffered injuries that made her incapable of doing what she loved and most of all, taught her to rely on those that were more suited to the task at hand, something she was already familiar with yet still tried to do a few things herself. With less than ideal results.

What she had gotten out of all of this however, was the strength to carry on, even if the darkness surrounds her. More than once she had felt like giving up, only for a ray of light to appear and guide her to safety. Tanadia being the first, getting her off the Broken Shore and into more friendly territory. Then again when they needed to find help, managing to get it from a demonhunter and warlock who were passing by.

Then when she had been given the news of Sera's passing and then killing Snow before he killed them, she was willing to give herself to the darkness, especially when Tanadia was captured, but was found by her mother when all looked to be lost.

She smiled a little at the events of the last month and how she ended up here. "I just have to keep fighting." She told herself, looking down at her arm that had a felhunter's jaw clamped around it a couple weeks ago, admiring the work of the healers and barely making out the scar that she had.

"I do this too." Vereesa said, standing nearby and watching her niece get lost in her thoughts. "It makes it easy to forget about the bad sometimes. You only really focus on the good."

Victoria leaned on her aunt who sat down beside her. "I think I have to go back to Stormwind soon. They need their Queen and I need to get them prepared for our first successful assault."

"And your family? Are you just going to leave them?" Vereesa asked, placing a gentle hand over her niece's. "Or is there an invitation for them to join you?"

Victoria looked at the pavement below her. "I... I don't know. I want to keep my family with me, but I don't think they want to go back to the city."

"Have you asked them?" Vereesa now asked.

"No..." Victoria muttered in response.

"Don't you think you should?"

Victoria smiled a little, squeezing her aunt's hand. "Okay, I will ask them when I next see them."

"Good." Vereesa looked over to the Violet Citadel in the distance. "Is Tanadia still looking after brother and sister?"

"And Liadrin." Victoria told her.

"She's looking after Liadrin too?" Vereesa asked the young Queen.

"Yes... Liadrin is attatched to her by the hip when they're together, so it's up to Tanadia to make sure she is thinking clearly." Victoria shrugged her shoulders. "It's amusing when you watch it."

Vereesa stood up and offered her arm to her niece, having Victoria hook her around it and both walking to the Violet Citadel together. "Then let's go watch them and in the meantime, talk to your parents about them coming back to Stormwind with you."

"You know they will want to stay here in Dalaran. Mom has already spoken about helping you get back your sister." Victoria looked over to her aunt and smiled at her raised eyebrow. "Oh please, you know my mom wants to find her. Alleria was everything to you two."

"She was." Vereesa said with a smile. "But Sylvanas and Alleria had a special bond. I don't exactly what brought it on, but they loved each other so much that it crushed your mother when she recieved the necklace from one of Alleria's rangers." Her smiled brightened a little when a thought crossed her mind. "If we do find our sister, you will see a side of your mother that you may not have seen before."

"How close were they?" Victoria asked, curious about a part of her mother's past that was never brought up.

"For starters, Alleria was the only person in the entire world that she told about the arrangement she had with Athrodar's family. It explained the countless nights I saw them together, alone in Sylvanas' office in Silvermoon. You may have to ask her what they were talking about, but I presume it was mostly Alleria keeping your mother calm whenever she went into a mood." Vereesa's smile widened some more. "It happened a lot, but I believe it was to do with your father and her wanting to be with him right there and getting frustrated that she couldn't."

"What else?" Victoria asked, fascinated by her mother's untold past.

"They would both, when in the same room, always be together and I mean always. They were both competitive, your mother trying her hardest to beat her sister and almost always beating her in their games, but deep down, they had a special bond that made them each other's best friend as well as sisters." Vereesa's smile saddened at the memories now. "I was always jealous of their relationship, I even tried to fill that gap for Alleria whilst she was gone, but we both knew it wasn't the same."

Victoria looked at the side of her aunt's face and saw her steeled gaze on the steps to the Violet Citadel, knowing she was thinking about her past and squeezing her hand. "My mother does love you, you know. She speaks about you on occasion and plans to visit you when she misses you."

Vereesa smiled and looked over to her niece. "I know she does." She looked back to the steps leading up to the Violet Citadel and began to climb them with her niece's arm hooked in hers. "Anyway. They were always inseperable when in close proximity to each other. They shared the same bed on several occasions, at first it was to keep a very young Sylvanas quiet whenever she missed her sister, she was just a child at the time. Then it just became something they did as they got older to make sure the other one could get to sleep." Vereesa let out a small laugh. "Mostly it was to make sure Sylvie could sleep as Alleria had unknowingly made it impossible for her to sleep on her own."

"She told me it was the same with you. Needing Alleria to hold you at ngiht so you could sleep."

Vereesa nodded her head. "Not so much now, but definately when I was younger. It's sort of our family curse, we can be the best rangers and fighters in the world, slaying hundreds and barely losing breath. But when it comes to sleeping, we want to be held by someone we love." She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm sure you may have seen it with one of your siblings."

"Maybe not little Alleria, but Tahnir for sure. My brother can only sleep when Sylvanas or I hold him. I think my sister takes after Athrodar, he can sleep anywhere and on his own. My sister might be the same, though it's hard to tell. She is very shy, especially for being the daughter of two of the most confident rangers I have ever seen."

"I was the same." Vereesa told her. "But look at me now. Married to the leader of Dalaran, two beautiful twins and the Ranger-General of my own company. Your sister will do just fine, especially under their watch."

* * *

A couple more days passed by the time Athrodar was allowed to leave the room he had been locked in for over a week, choosing to spend his time walking around the city of Dalaran to get some fresh air as well as talking to his first born. "I have a question that has been playing on my mind since you stopped me from accepting the demons offer."

Tanadia smiled at her father, resting her head on his arm as they walked through the city, holding his hand as she was hugging his arm. "What is it, papa?"

"How did you know the image wasn't the real one? That what he was showing me was what I wanted to see and not the truth?"

Tanadia shrugged her shoulders, stopping in when they were outside the toy store located opposite the Violet Citadel. "I don't know. I thought you could see what I could see, until you started moving towards it. Then something in the back of my mind was telling me it was a fake, it had a calming voice and it felt... warm. Like the light was speaking to me."

Athrodar stepped close to his daughter and hugged her. "Whatever it was, it told you what I saw was wrong." He kissed her on the cheek when she hugged him back. "Thank you."

"How are you feeling, papa? After all, the demons attacked your home and killed grandmama because you didn't accept Kil'jaeden's offer."

"I'm okay." He told her, pulliung back and looking his daughter in the eyes. "If my family wasn't here, I don't know how I would be right about now, but because you're all here, in this city, I am doing okay."

It was Tanadia's turn to kiss her father on the cheek, hugging him tightly shortly after. "You know I am here if you need to cry, papa. I won't judge you, you're already a hero in my eyes."

Athrodar smiled and hugged his daughter again. "Thank you, Tana. I will think about it."

Whilst they continued to walk around Dalaran, Victoria was talking to her mother whilst they both looked after Alleria and Cedani. "So Tahnir seems to be enjoying his time spent with his cousins." The Queen commented, looking over to her mother who laughed and nodded her head.

"He has been surrounded by girls his entire life. So when he gets to be with his cousins, he takes it the second it's offered." Sylvanas placed Cedani down in her cot, tucking her in the blanket that she placed over her. "Which is understandable, since your father is off to find that Tauren they spent a week in captivity with just to have a guy friend."

"And you're good with that?" Victoria asked, holding onto her younger sister who sat on her lap.

"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" Sylvanas asked her in return.

"No reason. I just thought you would keep him on a very short leash now that he is able to move around again after having his back fully healed." Victoria smirked at her mother who began to think about it. "You can just go find him and meet the Tauren that kept him company whilst he was in there with Tanadia."

"I could..." Sylvanas pondered on the thought, slowly smiling when it began to look like a good idea. "I would get to meet this Hroki that Athrodar has spoken about recently."

"You can leave me with them." Victoria told her mother, referring to her siblings. "Though this one might want to go with you." She then added, watching Alleria stretch her arms out to her mother.

"Mama!" Alleria cried, being picked up by Sylvanas who rubbed her nose against her daughter's nose.

"Okay, you can come too." Sylvanas looked over to Victoria who smiled at them. "Think you can handle Cedani?"

"Yes, mom." Victoria said, rolling her eyes. "It won't be like last time, I promise."

"Good." Sylvanas kissed her daughter Alleria on the nose, sitting her on her hip and opening the door to their room. "I am going to go find your father, if I run across Vereesa before that, I will talk to her about keeping me up to date on her mission to find our sister."

"So you're really coming back to Stormwind with me?" Victoria asked her mother just before she left.

Sylvanas smiled at her. "I am. I want to see how the city is coming along as well as helping you with whatever you need."

Victoria smiled back at her. "I would like that."

* * *

"My Lady!"

Athrodar looked over his shoulder when Raven and Scarlette both ran over to Sylvanas who entered the inn they were all grouped inside. "They have missed you." He said just as Sylvanas was hugged by both women. "And haven't yet thanked you for saving them."

Sylvanas began to laugh as both women sandwiched her between them, being hugged tightly from both side. "I didn't do anything, girls. I spent most of my time making sure my children were safe."

Raven shook her head. "I don't care, my Lady. You were there with Victoria and you helped in pushing back the Legion."

"Which saved many of us who were hiding away." Scarlette added.

"They were all happy you were there to save them." Athrodar chimed in, grinning at his wife who rolled her eyes. "Oh I almost forget." He turned to face the Tauren sitting opposite him. "Sylvanas, this is Hroki." He nodded over to the Tauren who bowed his head at Sylvanas. "Hroki, this is the one woman who managed to tame me, Sylvanas."

"It is an honour to meet you in person, Warchief." Hroki said, standing up and bowing his head to her. "I know you no longer wear that title, but just like Thrall, you will always remain my Warchief."

Sylvanas smiled and bowed her head to the Tauren, sitting down on the chair next to Athrodar and smiling at Tanadia who sat on the other side of him. "It's nice to know someone still sees me as a Warchief."

Athrodar rolled his eyes. "I still see you as a Queen, my Queen and I suppose it's not too much of a stretch to being a Warchief."

"Uhuh..." Sylvanas took hold of his hand under the table, smirking when she recieved a kiss on the cheek by Athrodar and having both Scarlette and Raven sit opposite her, next to Hroki. "Where are Anne and Ruby?" She asked Raven.

"They are back in Windrunner Village, alive and looking for some of our personal items, my Lady. We didn't have time to grab anything before we left to come here." Raven looked down at Scarlette who was leaning on her. "We left behind some items from our past. They know what they're looking for and I'm hoping it's all remained intact."

"I hope your personal belongings are fine." Tanadia said, smiling at them. "Where are you all staying anyway?"

"At this inn." Raven told the young Priestess. "It's not much, but Anne has some experience working in a place like this, so the rent is free."

"Well we are going back to Stormwind." Sylvanas said, squeezing Athrodar's hand and smiling at him. "I think there might be room if you four want to join us. You know our kids love having you all around and so do we."

"Is there enough room for me?" Hroki asked. "My group were slaughtered whilst I was taken away, I have nowhere else to go so I was hoping I could serve you both as a personal guard."

Athrodar nodded his head and glanced over to Sylvanas who squeezed his hand, giving him the go ahead. "Of course there is. It's the least I can do for helping keep this one out of trouble."

Tanadia leaned against her father's arm. "I would also love to have you around. I don't get many friends who aren't from the Capital."

"That's settled then." Raven said, taking hold of Scarlette's hand. "We are all coming to Stormwind with you." She looked over to Hroki who nodded his head slowly. "Even this big guy."

"Looks like I will see the Capital properly for the first time." Hroki said, bowing his head to Sylvanas and Athrodar. "Thank you for letting me come too."

"Of course. Anything for a friend." Sylvanas told him.


	41. Azeroth at War (AU) 41

**Back To Stormwind**

Two days had passed since it was confirmed that Sylvanas and Athrodar were returning to Stormwind with their daughter and the latter of the two had just woken up with a splitting headache on the day they were set to leave.

"I think I drank too much..." He whispered, looking down at the blonde haired woman in his arms and smiling at the back of their head before leaning down and kissing it. "Though, if I'm waking up to you sleeping in my arms, it is always worth it."

"I hope not." Sylvanas replied in an equally hushed tone from the other side of the room, tripping over Raven who was passed out on the floor and crashing down onto the hard surface. "Ow.."

Athrodar began to chuckle whilst Sylvanas giggled from the floor. "Are you okay?" He asked, sitting up and letting go of the woman sleeping in front of him that he knew to be Anne after closer inspection.

"Yeah, I'm good." Sylvanas told him, pulling herself up so she was sitting on her knees, looking at her husband from the bottom of the bed. "What did we do last night?" She now asked, holding onto her head as she too had a splitting headache.

"I don't know." Athrodar replied, looking down at Anne who was sound asleep beside him. "Why aren't you in bed? I thought we fell asleep together... Right?"

"I think I had to pee." Sylvanas said, looking around the room and noticing everyone was naked and figuring they had a great time last night. She also noticed Ruby was sleeping on the other side of Athrodar and Scarlette was curled up next to the door. "I woke up on the toilet... It wasn't attractive."

Athrodar watched her climb onto the bed and slowly and surprisingly seductively, crawl her way towards him until she was on her hands and knees on top of him, grinning down at him and kissing him on the lips lightly. "Someone is in a fun mood." He whispered as she lowered herself onto him until she was laying flat on top of him. "A very fun mood."

Sylvanas continued to giggle, planting several kisses on Athrodar's face and finishing her assault with a long kiss on the lips, pressing her head against his so they could both gaze into each other's eyes. "This feels just like how it was when we first got together." She whispered to him, taking hold of his hands and moving them both his head, kissing him once more. "No children around, us two alone and surrounded by beautiful women who worship the both of us."

"They worship you, I'm just the elf that's married to you." Athrodar grinned when he saw her raise an eyebrow at him. "Am I wrong?"

"No..." She pouted, sitting up on his lap and looking around at the four women dotted around the room. "I tell them that I'm no longer a Queen, but they love to serve me nonetheless." She began to smile at the fact. "It's actually quite nice, to have them nearby and wanting to help out in any way they can."

Athrodar moved his hands from above his head to her hips, lightly stroking her sides and sending chills up her spine. "Is there anything I can help you with?" He whispered, watching a twinkle in her eye when she looked down at him.

"Of course there is." She purred, leaning down and kissing him hard on the lips whilst placing a hand between his legs. "And if any of these women wake up in the meantime, then the more the merrier."

Athrodar felt his heart skip a beat, gazing into Sylvanas' eyes. "Oh I love you, so much."

Sylvanas giggled and nodded her head. "I know, why else do you think I reward your love with such things?"

"Because you love me too." Athrodar told her, closing his eyes when he felt himself enter her. "And you are about to show me how much you love me."

Sylvanas nodded her head again. "Yes I am. Now lay back and enjoy, my love. I want us to be as exhausted as possible before we have to leave for Stormwind later today, so we can collapse into bed when we get there."

"Now that's a good deal." Athrodar agreed, gazing at his wife who began to ride him as if her life depended on it.

* * *

Victoria picked up her sister Alleria when she ran at her, spinning around in a circle and hearing her giggle before hugging her. "Hello, little one. Ready to see my city?"

"Yeah!" Alleria yelled with so much excitement that it made Victoria smile brightly at her. "I want to visit the city!"

"We will, very soon." Victoria told her, rubbing her nose against her sister's. "As soon as mama and papa get here, we will go home to my city."

"Where are they anyway?" Thal'ena said, arriving in Dalaran when she heard Victoria was safe and coming to her Queen's side as both one of her top advisors and her closest friend. "They know we can't wait forever, right?"

"They will be here." Tanadia said, waiting with them whislt holding onto her brother's hand. "They are at the inn and have been for the last two days with their servants."

Thal'ena snorted. "No doubt having -" Victoria kicked the Magister in the shin and interrupting her, making her lift up her leg and hold onto it whilst she began to hop. "Ow!"

"Don't speak like that whilst my brother and sisters are here." Victoria told her.

Thalina, holding onto Cedani and standing beside her daughter whilst watching the other Magister hop in place whilst glaring at Victoria. "Give them five more minutes and then we will go to Stormwind."

"I miss grandmama..." Tahnir muttered, resting his head against Tanadia's arm. "She used to look after us when mom and dad were busy with other things." He sighed and looked around, almost as if to look for her in their small group. "But she isn't here now."

Tanadia pulled her brother in for a half hug. "I know, I miss her too. But we will get through this, we will remember grandmama for the kind woman she was." She squeezed her brother seconds before her ears twitched and she looked over to the entrance of the room they were in. "That's either aunty Li Li or someone who sounds a lot like her."

Thalina looked over to her daughter who suddenly froze up, knowing she was preparing for the assault from Liadrin that was sure to come. "Watch your back." She told her daughter, smiling when Tanadia looked over her shoulder despite Liadrin not entering the room yet.

"Where is she?" Liadrin yelled, entering the room they were all in shortly after and locking eyes with a scared looking Tanadia. "There you are!" She ran at the young priestess and jumped at her, hugging Tanadia tightly. "You didn't wait for me." She muttered, pouting at the young priestess.

"You never asked, Li Li." Tanadia told her, moving her arms around the Paladin. "But you are here now, so I suppose you're not angry?"

"I'm never angry with you, little one." Liadrin told her, snuggling into the neck of the young priestess just to hold her as close as possible. "You can never do anything wrong."

Thalina rolled her eyes and walked over to her daughter and best friend. "You know, you're only acting like this because she was captured by the Legion." She told Liadrin.

"I don't care, I want her to stay safe and like I said, I will never be angry with her." Liadrin held onto the priestess tightly, threatening to cut off all circulation in her body with how tight she held her. "She is my little, cuddly elf."

"I'm not little or cuddly anymore, Li Li!" Tanadia cried, trying to break free from her vice like grip. "I just... want to... breathe!"

Thalina conjured a small ball of fire and threw it at Liadrin, making her let go of her daughter in an instant and grinning at the now glaring Paladin. "You were killing my daughter, quicker than the Legion were."

Athrodar walked in on Liadrin holding onto ihs daughter tightly once more, raising an eyebrow at the look of frustration on Tanadia's face and slowly smiling once Sylvanas and their four former servants as well as Hroki stepped into the room. "Well this is something."

"Papa!" Alleria cried, running over to Athrodar and being picked up by him. "Yay!"

Sylvanas watched as both Athrodar and their daughter rubbed noses before hugging each other. "Someone has a favourite parent." She whispered, looking over to Tahnir who smiled and ran at her, hugging his mother tightly when she knelt down to level their heights. "Here's my big, strong boy."

"Ready to go?" Victoria asked, looking over to Thal'ena who was using her Queen's shoulder to balance herself. "Really? I didn't kick you that hard."

"You did and now I need to use you as my walking aid." Thal'ena smirked at her Queen's sigh. "Shut up, you love having me here."

"We're ready to go." Athrodar answered Victoria, having Alleria sit on his waist whilst she hugged him around his neck.

Arriving in Stormwind, Victoria was met with several officials of her council as well as many groups of civilians cheering and whispering about the return of their Queen. "They have missed you." Thal'ena whispered to her Queen, no longer using her to walk and instead walking directly beside her. "When we heard you were safe in Dalaran, their spirits were lifted and there has been a buzz of excitement around the city, all of them waiting for your return."

They arrived at Stormwind Keep after five minutes of walking from the Mage Tower, not stopping for anything or anyone. "I have actually missed this place." Sylvanas whispered, looking around the throne room whilst holding onto her son's hand.

"My Lady!" A voice cried, followed by the sound of feet running across the stoned floor.

Victoria looked over to the owner of it and smiling at her servant, Chloe, who jumped at her, ignoring everyone else who was surrounding the Queen. "Hello, you." She whispered, hugging her tightly. "I have missed you and my other girls."

"We have missed you too, my Lady and we're so sorry for your losses." Chloe kissed her on the cheek, hugging her a little tighter. "We're just happy you're alive and with us now."

Victoria ignored the rest of them, holding onto Chloe tightly and not wanting to let her go. "I'm happy to be back, Chloe." She told her, glancing over her shoulder to her parents who were looking around the throne room, occasionally looking over to her. "I want to be alone, guys. You know where your rooms are, right?"

Athrodar looked over to Victoria and nodded at her. "Your old room or ours?"

"Your old room. I tried to move in, but moved out after a couple weeks because it just felt.. odd." Victoria held onto Chloes hand and kept her there, walking over to the throne whilst everyone left the throne room to find their own rooms, pulling Chloe with her so she was sitting on her lap the second she sat down. "Where are the other two?" She whispered to Chloe, stroking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Helping out some lowly lord. They were handed over to him whilst you were missing, I'm sure you can just go to him and get them back." Chloe closed her eyes and leaned back against her Queen, being hugged from behind by her. "What was it like out there?"

"What I imagine hell is like." Victoria told her, kissing her on the shoulder and suddenly bursting out into tears. "Everyone I love is dying."

Chloe stood up and turned around, only to sit back down on her Queen's lap and facing her this time. "Not everyone, my Lady. Most of your family are still here, us three are still here for you, my Lady." She kissed her Queen on the forehead, pulling her in for a hug and holding Victoria's head against her chest, stroking her hair when she heard her continue to cry. "We are always here for you, my Lady. We serve and love you."

Whilst Victoria was crying and being comforted by Chloe, there was one elf who hadn't really left yet and was hiding behind a nearby door. Thal'ena stood with her ear pressed up against it to both spy on her Queen and to make sure she was okay. "And you're not doing so good, are you my Lady?" She asked herself, sighing and listening in to their conversation once more.

"I don't know if I can love anyone any more." Victoria whispered to Chloe. "Everytime I do, they get hurt or killed and I can't put anyone else through that."

Chloe held onto her Queen tightly, listening to this strong, beautiful woman get reduced to nothing more than a crying mess at the loss of the General and woman she loved, her best friend and companion Snow, her Grandmother and her entire Royal Guard. "You will love someone again, my Lady." She whispered to Victoria, stroking her hair and planting a kiss or two on the top of her head every now and then. "Once this is over, once the Legion is defeated, you will find someone. I promise."

* * *

"I have missed this view." Sylvanas said, standing on the balcony to their room and looking down at the city of Stormwind. When she heard a drink being poured, she looked over her shoulder and towards Athrodar who had found some liquor and a glass and was pouring himself and her a drink. "We've just arrived in the Capital and our babies haven't had a chance to settle in. Do you really want to start drinking now?" She asked, a little concerned at his timing of it as well as it being the third day in a row he was drinking, something he rarely done once a month.

"I'm thirsty." He told her, downing the entire glass and pouring himself another.

Sylvanas walked back into the bedroom, looking at the small array of drinks they had and realising that they were all alcoholic and frowning at him. "Are you sure you're okay?" She asked, slowly walking over to him and placing a hand on his arm the moment he downed his second glass in less than a minute. "I am worried about you, my love." She whispered, gazing into his eyes and watching him smile back at her.

"I'm fine." He told her, kissing her on the cheek. "Like I said, I'm just thirsty."

Sylvanas hugged him from behind when he turned around to face the small bar he had set up with the drinks, holding onto him tightly and stopping him from pouring himself a third drink in a short amount of time. "Please don't drink another one." She told him, holding him in place. "I know you haven't mourned your mother's death. You're keeping everything bottled in and it's affecting you, you're drinking more and I'm scared you're going to do something that hurts you or someone we love."

Athrodar felt his wife's ever tightening grip around him and slowly smiling at her concern. Not because it was funny or misplaced, but because he knew she felt strongly about what she had just told him and also knew that she was right. He had kept everything bottled up, not wanting to show any sign of weakness in these troubling times as he knew they had bigger things to worry about. But they were safe here, for now at least and he was away from anyone who could exploit his emotional state that he was quickly slipping into. "I miss her..." He muttered, feeling Sylvanas plant a kiss on the back of his shoulder. "I didn't know her when I first joined the Forsaken, when we were together, but after remembering my past with her, how much she meant to me, I hate that she is gone from my life."

Sylvanas placed a hand on her face and slowly turned it until he was looking at her, planting a kiss on his cheek and pressing her head against his temple. "I miss her too, baby. She was a rare light in this ever darkening world and she didn't deserve to die by the Legion."

Athrodar walked away from her and began to pace on the other side of the room, rubbing his eyes when he thought about the last few years he had spent with his family, his mother playing a bigger part than he first thought and feeling his heart constrict when he remembered all the fond memories of thoes times. "She loved you like you were her own daughter." He sat down on a nearby chair and buried his head in his hands. "She always wanted a daughter and was so happy when she heard I was married to you."

Walking over to him, Sylvanas sat on his lap and pulled his head into her chest when she saw a lone tear roll down his cheek. "And I loved her like she was my birth mother. Mine was never around unless she had a rare week off, so to have a mother figure in my life the last few years was something I will never forget." She kissed the top of his head, stroking his back when she heard him begin to quietly cry against her chest. "It's okay... Just let is out, baby." She whispered in his ear, feeling her heart break a little but also feeling at ease that he was finally mourning the death of his mother. "You are safe here."

"I never got to tell her that I love her, that she was the best mother in the world that had many people that love her and even more friends." Athrodar sniffed and held onto his wife tightly, feeling her kiss the top of his head once more. "I don't want to do anything..."

Sylvanas shook her head. "We won't do anything unless you want to." She told him. "We can stay in bed and just lay there. Be with our children if they come looking for us too, but we don't have to leave this room at all."

Athrodar nodded his head against her chest, having Sylvanas climb off his lap and take hold of his hand before slowly dragging him to their bed, pulling him in for a hug when they both laid down and going back to stroking his back whilst he buried his head in her chest, lightly humming to him too. "She loved you so much, Athrodar." She told him. "Whenever we were alone and you were with our children, she would smile the second she saw you with our little ones and tell me how much she loved you and how proud she was."

"I don't want to fight any more. I want us to travel the world once our son and daughters have grown up." Athrodar looked up at Sylvanas who was staring at him, waiting to hear his reasoning why. "I have lost too much and I don't want to be near any more wars. My mother is dead, Sera and Snow are dead. Elaria doesn't want anything to do with me and Luna has gone with her. We just have our family, nobody else."

"We don't need anyone else." Sylvanas told him, gazing into his eyes. "Remember what we always say?"

Athrodar smiled a little at her. "Nobody hurts our family."

Sylvanas smiled and pressed her head against his. "Exactly. We have each other and our family. We will fight the Legion with just our family if we have to, nobody else matters."

"Nobody else matters." Athrodar agreed, kissing her on the lips. "We will get through with war with just our family."

Sylvanas smiled a little wider at him. She had always wanted a family and to have them be a major power house in the world, leading armies against their enemies and being the one name people call upon if in need of help against a common foe. This was something she was going to build on, especially against the Legion with Tanadia and Victoria being of the age to start building on her legacy. "With just our family." Sylvanas repeated, closing her eyes and holding onto Athrodar tightly as they lay beside each other.


	42. Chapter 42

**Relaxing at Home**

Victoria walked through her city, accompanied by Thal'ena and Captain Cyndia who had returned from the Broken Isles the second she heard her Queen was back in Stormwind. "This place seems a lot quieter and more foreign without Snow or Sera here..." The Queen muttered, looking over to her Captain who gave her a sympathetic look. "It doesn't feel like home anymore."

Thal'ena place a hand on her Queen's back and smiled at her when she looked over to the Magister. "We are both still here, my Lady. We may not get the same amount of love you shared to Sera, but we still love our Queen and will do anything to make her city feel like home once again."

"Which is why we're heading to the docks." Victoria told her, looking over to Cyndia who had remained silent. "I want to see the Admiral and tell her what we had was nothing more than a moment of weakness. I need you both there as a show of force if she tries to seduce me again."

Cyndia smiled and bowed her head to her Queen. "I will be there for you, my Lady. Perhaps after we can go find Alina and check in with the hundreds of new recruits that signed up after the first week of the Legion's invasion."

Victoria raised an eyebrow at her Captain. "Really? I didn't know we had so many new recruits."

"They heard about what happened, along with their Queen going missing, they all wanted to sign up and defend their homes and hopefully find you." Cyndia continued to smile at her Queen. "It seems to have worked since Alina has had to call upon some of our rangers to help teach this new batch."

"We have a foothold on the Broken Isles as well." Thal'ena added in. "So we won't be going into an ambush like the first assault."

Victoria smiled at that news, a simple act that hadn't been seen by both women since their Queen's arrival back in Stormwind. "Good. I can't lose another army due to poor planning on everyone's part."

The three of them made their way to Stormwind docks, being stopping by the woman they were going there to see and having her frown at the two guards either side of Victoria. "My Lady -"

"It's 'Your Grace' to you." Victoria reminded her, making Thal'ena smile and look down at the floor in an attempt to hide it.

Emma was stunned by the change in mood from the Queen she had known before the Legion invaded. "I.. I apologise, your Grace. I didn't mean to offend." She bowed her head to the three elves, though it was meant to Victoria. "It's good to see you up and on your feet. I am sorry for the loss of your General and Nightsaber. We might not have gotten along, Sera and I, but I respected her greatly."

"Thank you." Victoria said, having Thal'ena place a hand on her back for comfort and reassurance. "I have come here to say that I will no longer be needing your services when we're alone." As soon as she said it, she face palmed internally as it sounded so formal yet odd to say it like that.

"My La... Your Grace?" Emma tilted her head at the Queen.

"She is telling you that you are to no longer go near her for your own gain." Cyndia told the Admiral. "You get to keep your position as Admiral, but you are not to seduce the Queen." The Captain looked at Victoria who was staring at Emma to get her reaction on this news. "She has lost her General, a woman she loved greatly. She has informed us that she had a moment of weakness with you and is moving on."

Emma slowly nodded and bowed her head to her Queen after a few seconds. "I understand, your Grace. I am sorry you feel this way but it is understandable. I will continue to serve as your Admiral and nothing more."

"Thank you." Victoria muttered, looking over to Thal'ena who looked back at her Queen. "I want to return to the Keep, work on helping my people get over our losses and deal with any problems that have come up since my absense."

"As you wish, your Grace." Thal'ena said, bowing her head to her.

* * *

Sylvanas smiled as she watched her husband sleep, a pastime that was quickly becoming something of a hobby since she had gotten him back from the Legion. She was laying on her side, head propped up by her hand and smiling as she watched is chest rise up and fall down with his breathing, gazing at his peaceful face and occasionally stroking his hair just to touch him and not wake him up. She didn't know what started this, she had done it from time to time before he was taken, but now it was becoming a daily routine and one she had come to enjoy.

"Mama!" Alleria cried, opening the door to their bedroom.

"Shh!" Sylvanas responded quickly, making her daughter stop moving. "Come here, but be quiet. Your father is sleeping."

Alleria slowly walked up to the bed, climbing onto it and giggling when Sylvanas picked her up and placed her inbetween both Athrodar and herself. "Is daddy tired?"

"He is." Sylvanas agreed, planting several kisses on her daughter's face and belly, making her giggle. "And you are going to be with us here in bed to make sure dad is okay." Sylvanas kissed her daughter on top of her head. "He misses grandmama and is upset right now, but would love it if you spent time with him."

Alleria cuddled up to Athrodar whilst he slept, making Sylvanas smile brightly at the scene. "I miss grandmama too." Alleria whispered.

"Me too little one. Me too." Sylvanas stroked her daughter's hair, hugging her from behind as she went back to gazing at Athrodar. "But we will move passed this. Your father and I, along with your sisters Tanadia and Victoria will defeat the Legion ourselves."

"For grandmama?" Alleria asked, closing her eyes and trying to drift off to sleep even after waking up only a few minutes ago.

"Yes, baby. For grandmama." Sylvanas whispered to her daughter, stroking her hair some more and lulling her to sleep, all the while watching Athrodar sleep beside them peacefully and smiling at how her family had survived everything thrown at them so far. Minus her mother-in-law, she was certain this family would make it to the end.

Twenty minutes passed by before Athrodar began to stir, slowly opening his eyes and turning his head to look at Sylvanas who smiled at him. "Morning." He whispered, looking down at Alleria who had fallen asleep between the two of them. "How long has she been here?"

"About twenty minutes." Sylvanas told him, kissing the top of her daughter's head. "She wants to make sure her papa is feeling much better."

Athrodar smiled and continued to look down at his daughter who was hugging is arm. "I am." He said, slowly extracting his arm from his daughter to he could face them completely, stroking a finger across Alleria's cheek and glancing up at his wife who continued to stare at him with a smile brighter than the sun. "What?"

"Nothing." She whispered, leaning close to him and planting a light kiss on his lips. "I'm just happy to hear you are doing much better than before."

"My family are here, we are safe and we are planning our future for both us and our entire family." He reached over and placed a hand on Sylvanas' cheek, watching her close her eyes at his touch. "You were right last night, we can only rely on this family from here on out. We will come out of this war much stronger than we were before the Legion invaded." He gazed into his wife's eyes and saw she agreed with his plan. "The name Windrunner will be feared by those who seek to do us harm. If we find your sister before this war is over, she will only bolster our strength."

"Yes she will." Sylvanas agreed. "Nobody will stand in our way, we will work as a family to push the Legion away from this world and everyone will know who leads the fight against the demons." She looked down at their daughter who remained asleep. "We will build a world where our children will be respected by just their name alone."

"Our eldest as Queen." Athrodar stated, holding onto their daughter who remained asleep between them. "Tanadia as her princess, priestess and close advisor in the next few years." He kissed the top of Alleria's head and had Sylvanas sandwich her inbetween the two of them when she hugged her and Athrodar. "Tahnir and Alleria will grow up to be her loyal Captains and Cedani..."

"I don't want her to join them here." Sylvanas whispered to him. "She will be the one who stays with us, she won't want to leave us."

Athrodar smiled and nodded his head in agreement. "I hope that's true, but she's still young and hasn't even said anything yet. Let's hope she is like that though."

"I know she will be..." Sylvanas whispered, looking down at Alleria in her arms. "She will be nothing like her brother and sisters."

* * *

Victoria returned to the Keep around lunch time, finding her sister Tanadia and taking hold of her hands when she made her way to her. "I never properly thanked you for what you did, saving my life and getting us to safety."

Tanadia shook her head, smiling at her sister. "I only done what you would have done. I am just happy we are safe and alive now."

Victoria hugged her sister tightly. "You're the only person I can trust now. You didn't want to leave me until I forced you away and I'm sorry you were captured by the Legion." She buried her head in her sister's neck when Tanadia hugged her back. "I love you, Tana. I don't want to lose my sister."

"You won't, Vic. I will be with you the entire time as your Princess, I may not be an advisor, but Liadrin is now the Highlord of the Paladins on Azeroth and is teaching me to be an affective healer." She pulled back and smiled at her sister. "When she thinks I'm ready, I can be your Royal healer."

Victoria pressed her head against her sister's and smiled at her. "You can be my healer now, dear sister. You have experience and the older you get and more your learn, the better you will be. And you helped me so much like I said, I wouldn't want anyone else to be my Royal Healer."

Tanadia looked at her sister and saw she was being serious, becoming a little unsure about taking up her offer. "I... I don't know, Vic. Li Li doesn't think I'm ready yet, I don't think I'm ready yet."

Victoria placed her hands on the top of her sister's arms, smiling and shaking her head. "You will be fine, Tana." She looked into her sister's golden eyes and saw the uncertainty in them, smiling a little wider. "I had no experience with being a Queen and look at me now. People are relying on me for things and I don't know if I can deliver them. But you learn on the job, right?" She moved her hands down to take hold of Tanadia's hands. "The offer is there if you want it."

"You would be good at it." Athrodar said, standing nearby and listening in to their conversation. "Liadrin knows you show much promise, she wouldn't dote on you so much if you didn't."

"Or she dotes on me because I was and still am the cutest elf she's ever seen."

Athrodar laughed when he saw his daughter stick her tongue out at him. "I'm sure that is also the reason."

Victoria moved to her throne, sitting down on it and looking over to her father who began to make his way over to her. "Where's mom?" She asked, watching him smile and look at the floor.

"She has surrounded herself with your siblings and her servants, wanting to spend time with your brother and sisters and being joined by those women because they want to be with them too." He shrugged his shoulders and stood beside Victoria's throne, placing a gentle hand on her cheek and watching her smile up at him. "You know what she's like, when one of them run into her arms, she can't help but surround herself with them."

"I can understand that. We were weren't forsaken like her for that long, I think she will just take every moment with her children when it comes." She shrugged her shoulders and smiled. "I can't blame her for that. I would too."

"So, how are you feeling? Better now you've had some rest and back home?"

Victoria nodded her head. "Much better now, yes. I think I just needed time with family, to be in my own bed and to have my girls with me." She saw Athrodar raise an eyebrow at her, quickly going bright red. "N-no, not like that! Sera was the last person I did that with... Probably will be for a long time." She shook her head, hating that this topic suddenly came up in front of both her sister and father. "They are good friends who helped me with my problem." She closed her eyes and sighed. "That just sounds worse..."

Athrodar laughed and placed his hands behind his back, looking down the long corridor that led to the throne room. "It's okay, I get what you mean. Sometimes friends are the best company when you're feeling down."

"They are." Victoria agreed, looking over to her sister who stood beside Athrodar. "What are you two doing now? I was thinking about taking a walk around Stormwind, maybe visit the Park and relax in my private section?"

Tanadia looked up to her father and smiled at him. "I would love that."

Athrodar grinned and nodded his head. "Since your mother is distracted by your brother and sisters, I suppose I could come too."

"Great! Let me just find Cyndia and have her cover for me whilst we're gone. Tomorrow I start my duties as Queen properly and I am expecting a long day ahead of me." Victoria stood up and hooked her arm around Tanadia's. "Come on, let's go find my Captain."

* * *

For the rest of the day, Athrodar spent time with his two eldest daughters in the Park, coming back to the Keep late at night and helping Victoria to her chambers as she sleepily walked beside him, leaning almost her entire weight on his arm to keep herself up. "I told you we should have come back an hour ago." He whispered to her, hearing her shush him and grinning as she continued to hold onto his arm tightly. "You need to be ready for tomorrow, you will most likely get a lot of questions about the war against the Legion."

"I know..." Victoria muttered, yawning and covering her mouth with her hand. "I don't know what to tell them."

"Tell them you will work with Dalaran to fight the Legion." Athrodar advised. "Your Uncle will gladly accept Stormwind's help against the Legion should you offer it."

"Thanks dad." Victoria said kissing him on the cheek. "I will tell the council that should they ask. I have no experience against this foe, so if we get to work closely with Dalaran, I will take that."

Athrodar opened the door to the Queen's chambers. "Rhonin and Vereesa would love to have Stormwind's backing. Trust me when I say, it will do both cities a lot of good." He saw Victoria smile at him, bowing his head to her. "Goodnight, Vic."

"Goodnight, dad. And thank you again for today... And the advice."

Athrodar closed the door behind him, making his way to his bedroom and slowly opening the door to find nobody was immediately in front of him, stepping inside to take a look around and finding the entire room and joining rooms to be empty save for Cedani who slept in her cot at the bottom of the bed. "Odd..." He muttered, leaving the bedroom and heading to Tahnir's room. Once outside, he pressed his ear to the door and heard nothing, slowly opening the door and growing a smile when he saw not only his son asleep in his bed, but also his sister Alleria and Sylvanas asleep in the bed too, all of them cuddled up to each other and knowing his wife had a godo time with their children. "Looks like I am alone tonight." He muttered, slowly closing the door and leaving them alone.

The moment he returned to his bedroom and climbed into bed however, was when Sylvanas opened the door with both Alleria and Tahnir in either arm, thanking the Gods they were elves so they both weighed nothing compared to a human of the same age. "Budge up." She whispered, setting Alleria down first and walkined to the other side of the bed to place Tahnir down, climbing into the same bed shortly after and cuddling him whilst Athrodar moved their daughter into the middle of the bed too. "There, both our children in the middle whilst Cedani sleeps just there."

Athrodar smiled at his wife who had spent the entire day with their children. "I hope you enjoyed today and got the most out of it, because tomorrow we are helping Victoria in the throne room."

Sylvanas held onto Tahnir a little tighter, kissing the top of his head. "Thankfully I did. Tahnir has been quiet since Windrunner Village though, I think he was affected by the invasion more than we thought. Alleria however has been full of energy that she ran circles around me near the end of the day." She smiled and looked at her daughter who exhausted herself an hour before they went to bed, knowing she wasn't going to wake up no matter what happened. "They asked for you a couple of times too, I had to tell them you were spending time with their older sisters."

"In the Park no less." Athrodar told her. "Victoria wanted to relax for her final day before coming back full time as a Queen and Tanadia was just happy to be invited."

Sylvanas looked at the two children between them and began to smirk at Athrodar. "Is it me, or did having them grow up mean we spend less time alone?"

Athrodar chuckled lightly and nodded his head in agreement. "We are, though I don't think you're complaining."

"I'm not." Sylvanas whispered, holding onto Tahnir with one arm whilst her other stretched over to Alleria and stroked her cheek with the back of her hand. "We only have a few more years of this. Tahnir will stop first and then Alleria a couple years after."

"Then you'll have to put up with sleeping next to me all the time." Athrodar told her, watching Sylvanas roll her eyes. "But something tells me that you wouldn't mind if that was the case."

"I would love to have you hold me all the time, for us to be alone in this bed again with no fears of being interrupted." She took hold of his hand and brought it to her lips, kissing the back of his hand. "We just need to secure a strong legacy for our family and we can do anything we want."

"Anything? Can you promise that?"

Sylvanas smiled at him. "I can promise you the world and you will work as hard as you can to get it."

"The world wouldn't be a bad thing to take." Athrodar told her, smiling back at his wife. "But one thing at a time, okay? We still have the Legion to deal with."

Sylvanas chuckled. "Okay, fair point. I'll put a pin in that idea though."


	43. Chapter 43

**Panic and Secrets**

A week had passed since Victoria retook the mantle of Queen of Stormwind and she had slipped back into the role as naturally as many had thought. One thing that had changed for her though was how much more power the council had over the city compared to before the war.

Clearly they were gaining power whilst she was away, and she didn't feel too comfortable about that fact.

"How is the recruitment going?" Victoria asked one of the council members, this one being in charge of the military in Westfall since the Captain there was slain on the Broken Shore. "Are we slowly making up the numbers we have lost?"

"We are, your Grace. The recruits are joining because they want to fight beside their Queen who had survived the Legion's counter attack and attempts to capture or kill her." The council member bowed their head to Victoria. "We are glad you are back, your Grace."

Victoria smiled at the council member. "Thank you. It took some time, but I am glad to be back, all things considered."

"We are sorry about the General." Another council member said, making Victoria look down at the arm of her throne. "And the shrine you have made for Snow is getting a lot of visitors by the people." They saw Victoria begin to smile and smiled with her. "They may not have known Snow, but they knew he meant the world to you."

"Thank you for your kind words, councilman." Victoria said, looking up at everyone gathered in front of her. "Any news on Darnassus? When I last saw Malfurion, he looked in distress."

"You haven't heard?" The ambassador from Darnassus asked, stepping forward and standing at the forefront of the council. "Lord Malfurion has been captured by the Satyr Xavius and has been taken into the Nightmare. High Priestess Tyrande has gathered an army of Kaldorei and is marching into the Nightmare to get him back." The ambassador lowered their head when they had more news to tell her. "The Dragon Aspect Ysera has also fallen into corruption, along with Cenarius and many powerful demigods and dragons. I don't know how Tyrande will deal with them all, but she must to get her husband back."

Victoria froze the moment the corruption in Val'sharah was mentioned, having experienced its affects first hand with Snow and watching as it ate away and corrupted the purest heart she had ever known, forcing the nightsaber to turn on the two elves that loved him the most. "I wish her all the best..." She muttered, standing up from her throne. "Excuse me." She said, not looking at the council as she left the throne room and sat down in front of the door she had just closed, burying her head in her hands and breathing rapidly as panic began to set in.

She didn't know what had truly caused it, only that she began to feel her chest tighten, her breathing become difficult and her hand start to shake when the topic of the corruption was brought up. She had faced demons, lived through a Scourge invasion and fought in a war, yet for some reason this topic affected her more than the rest combined.

"Vic?" A voice said softly, followed by the sound of running. "Baby, what's wrong?"

Victoria looked up at her mother, closing her eyes and crying into her neck. "I don't know..." She whispered, holding onto Sylvanas. "They were speaking of the corruption in Val'sharah and the next thing I know, I'm in this corridor, struggling to breathe."

"And now crying." Sylvanas told her, rocking her daughter back and forth. "Your father went through something similar the first few months he was with me." She kissed her on the cheek and slowly helped her up. "Come with me, I know exactly what you need."

* * *

"How is she?" Thal'ena asked, sitting on the empty throne and looking over to Athrodar who held his daughter Cedani in his arms.

Athrodar smiled and looked down at Cedani. "She's sleeping after having Sylvanas play with her for a solid hour."

The Magister frowned at him. "I was asking about Victoria but now I'm unsure who you're talking about." She stood up from the throne and made her way over to Athrodar, looking down at Cedani in his arms and smiling at the sleeping baby. "She is precious... I saw her for a few seconds when I came for Victoria when she visited you all in Windrunner Village, but to see her now, up close... I wished I had seduced you before my mother could."

"Get in line." He told her, smirking when she raised an eyebrow at him. "Liadrin and Thalina have already claimed my baby maker if Sylvanas dies or we split up. Hopefully none of them happen, but they are secretly hoping..." He shook his head and gazed at his daughter in his arms. "I'm just saying, it might be Sylvanas who makes them so damned cute. Which if that's the case, and she will swear it is, waiting in line to use me like they both plan to is a waste of time."

Thal'ena grinned and stroked Cedani's cheek lightly with her index finger. "Maybe you're right, but then that means you have a good nose for women because Tanadia is too gorgeous to be related to you." She looked up at him and saw his raised eyebrow this time. "What? She's is. If she wasn't so damned protected by you all, I would be all over that."

"She's too young for you. And besides, Victoria would have your tongue if she heard any of this."

"That reminds me, you didn't answer my question. How is our Queen?" Thal'ena asked, making sure to specify who she was talking about this time.

"She is probably still on the balcony of our room, looking out at the city and getting some fresh air. Whatever happened to her out there is still fresh on her mind and it is affecting her a lot." Athrodar sighed and continued to gaze at his daughter. "I think she needs some more rest and to be away from leading for a while, but the council are certain they need her back."

"To keep up appearances, no doubt..." Thal'ena muttered, looking back at the throne. "If she had Sera here, maybe it would be bearable. But she just has Cyndia and myself outside of her family members."

"I've been thinking about taking over for a few days until she is back on her feet. I'd need help from Sylvanas, or she will just take over, anything to get our daughter to rest for a little while longer." Athrodar looked over to the door that would lead him to the personal quarters. "I'll talk to Sylv about it, see what she says."

"It is a good idea, but only if you aren't in charge." Thal'ena poked her tongue out at him. "You're not as good a leader as you think you are. Sylvanas is much better."

"Fair point." Athrodar admitted, walking towards the door that would lead him to his room. "I'm going to put this one to bed, check on Victoria and update you on what's going on."

* * *

"My dear husband." Sylvanas smiled sweetly at her mate, placing her hands on his face and gazing into his eyes.

"Someone is in a good mood today." Athrodar mused, moving his arms around his wife. "How is she?" He asked, glancing over to Victoria who slept on their bed.

"Much better than yesterday. She just needed a bit more sleep and rest, to be away from the council for a few days." Sylvanas leaned forward and kissed him. "And I'm in a good mood today because it's closing in on our anniversary."

"Is it?" Athrodar asked, grinning when Sylvanas leaned back and raised an eyebrow at him. "Eleven years now you have had to put up with me." He whispered, pressing his forehead against hers.

"And that doesn't include the few years we were together before marriage." Sylvanas told him. "But you've become tolerable, so it hasn't been too bad."

Athrodar chuckled and gave his wife a long kiss on the lips. "I love you."

"I love you too." Sylvanas replied in a whisper, looking over to Victoria who remained sound asleep on their bed. "As much as I love her, she has taken our bed away from us."

"At least you still get to sleep in it." Athrodar muttered, sounding a little sad. "I've been relegated to whatever spare bed I can find."

"But she needs me..." Sylvanas said, smiling at her daughter's sleeping form. "I love that she still needs me." She whispered this time, pressing her ear against Athrodar's chest.

"Are you ready to take over her duties today?" He asked, stroking her hair and lightly caressing her back, making her close her eyes and smile warmly at his pampering touches.

"It's going to be like the old days. Me on the throne, my husband beside me, keeping me calm and happy with just his presence." Sylvanas hugged him tightly. "I am looking forward to this."

"Normally my mother would have looked after our children whilst we done this." Athrodar sighed and looked down at his wife who gave him a sad smile. "But she isn't here now."

Sylvanas placed a gentle hand on his cheek and gazed into his eyes once more. "We have friends who can help, family members who can help." She smiled when he closed his eyes and nodded slowly. "We will be fine, my love. Our girls could look after them, Victoria's girls too. Thalina would love to and so wold Liadrin."

Athrodar opened his eyes and looked into Sylvanas' eyes as she continued to gaze into his, getting lost within those blue orbs he had gotten lost in every time he looked into them. The countless times he had fallen in love all over again by just gazing into them, the warmth that filled his heart by just looking at her was enough. He leaned forward and gave her a long kiss, having Sylvanas wrap her arms around his neck and lifting her up so she also wrapped her legs around his waist.

"I love you so much." He whispered, having a torrent of kisses on his face and neck as Sylvanas got consumed by his original kiss.

"I love you too." She whispered in his ear, biting the bottom of it before sucking on his neck between kisses.

"Please... Don't start anything." Victoria grumbled, grabbing a nearby pillow and covering her ears. "I get you're never alone anymore, but please... I just want to sleep."

Sylvanas giggled when she was placed back onto the floor, burying her face into Athrodar's chest. "I forgot she was in here." She admitted, taking hold of his hand and walking towards the door. "We'll leave you alone now, honey."

Victoria heard the door shut behind them closing her eyes and smiling when she was left alone, though it only lasted a couple of seconds as she heard one of them be pinned against the door, followed by giggling and kissing. "Oh for f..." Victoria groaned and rolled over, covering her ears with the pillow once more and looking out at the balcony in front of her. "I might as well sleep out there. It will be quieter than listening to them."

"We should probably not do this here." Sylvanas purred, not actually wanting to move from where they were, but knowing their daughter could hear them. After all, she was pinned between the door and her husband, something she loved because she got to be so close to him. "Although I would love to..." She placed a hand on his chest, feeling his heartbeat and biting her bottom lip. "Take me away from here before it's too late." She told him.

Athrodar took hold of her hand and began to lead her to the throne room. "Fine, but the offer is open should you wish to take me up on it."

"For how long is the offer open?" She asked, walking beside Athrodar and squeezing his hand when he didn't respond. "Come on! I want to know how long I have to find the best window of opportunity to jump you and rock your world."

Athrodar smirked and looked over to Sylvanas who was waiting for his answer. "You have until the end of the day. When the day is over and we no longer have to deal with the people, your time is up."

"Oooo, challenging." Sylvanas raised Athrodar's hand to her lips and kissed the back of it. "I accept."

* * *

"Does it feel different to any other sword?"

Liadrin looked over to Ashbringer, becoming its wielder after Tirion died and the de facto leader of the Argent Crusade and the rest of the Paladins on Azeroth. "It feels so light compared to how heavy it looks." She told Tanadia, picking it up and handing the blade to her. "Hold it, you will see what I mean."

Tanadia stood up and attempted to pick up the weapon with one hand, having to use two instead. Although it was lighter than it looked like Liadrin said, Tanadia was not a fighter and had not yet grown the muscle required to wield it with one sword. "It's... still heavy!" Tanadia strained, dropping the sword back down with a clang as the blade hit the floor. "Sorry."

Liadrin smiled and shook her head. "No, don't worry about it." She took the Ashbringer off her apprentice, following her gaze when she saw her look off in a different direction and smirking when her eyes focused on Anduin. "This isn't the first time I've seen you look at him like that, little one." She mused, watching Tanadia widen her eyes and go red in the cheeks. "It's cute." She told her.

"I.. I don't know what you mean." Tanadia said, looking away and towards one of the windows in the Grand Cathedral. "Stop looking at me like that."

Liadrin continued to smirk at her apprentice, placing a hand on her arm. "It's natural to have a crush on someone. Just remember who your parents are."

Tanadia frowned at the Paladin. "Why does that matter?"

Liadrin laughed and shook her head. "Oh, little one... You have so much to learn." She moved towards the priestess and placed a gentle hand on her face. "It matters because your father, mother and frankly Sylvanas will want to meet the young boy who has come to steal their daughter."

"He's not stealing me." Tanadia said, rolling her eyes.

Liadrin raised an eyebrow at Tanadia's slip up. "I'm sorry?" Are you two already dating then? "

That question made the priestess got bright red. She had known Anduin for a good four years ever since he returned to Stormwind to learn to be a better priest, becoming good friends with the former Prince of Stormwind. "N-no! We're just friends, Li Li, I promise!"

"But I can sense you want to be more than just friends, right?"

Whilst Liadrin began to grin at her own teasing, Tanadia was turning bright red and covering her cheeks with her hands when she began to feel hot. "I... I don't want to talk about this anymore."

Liadrin went back to laughing, looking over to her sword Ashbringer and getting a feeling of sadness wash over her. "I am going to miss you, little one."

Tanadia tilted her head at Liadrin. "Why? Where are you going?"

"I have to go back to Light's Hope Chapel." Liadrin told her, leaning against the priestess and resting her head on Tanadia's shoulder. "I should be there now, but I came back to Stormwind to make sure you are okay."

Tanadia sighed, and rested her head on Liadrin's that remained rested on her shoulder. "Shame... I love having you around, Li Li. Without you here, I don't know if can-"

"Keep your hands off him?" Liadrin interrupted, giggling when Tanadia pushed her off the pew they were sitting on. "Okay, okay... Sorry."

"As I was saying..." She muttered, watching Liadrin climb back onto the pew and sit beside her. "I don't know if I can concentrate without my favourite teacher and aunt here to lead the class. With you not being here, it might put my learning in jeopardy."

"Oh please, you'll be fine. I trust the priest I have left in charge of the lessons. He was orginally in charge before we all pushed our way into the city." Liadrin kissed Tanadia on the temple and reached for the Ashbringer, holding it in her hand as she stood up. "I am leaving now, since I had to be there yesterday."

Tanadia felt sad at having been told this, standing up and hugging the Paladin tightly. "Come visit whenever you can, Li Li." She whispered, squeezing her a little tighter. "I lost Snow and Grandmama recently, I don't like the idea of you leaving either."

"You'll be fine, little one." Liadrin whispered to her, kissing her on the cheek now. "Look after your mother, she was worried about you the entire time and now she has you back, she has forgotten about everything else."

"I'll make sure she is safe." Tanadia told her, watching Liadrin pick up Ashbringer and place it on her back before leaving the Cathedral.

Once alone, Tanadia sat down on the pew and rested her head on her fist, letting out a long sigh. "Does she know?"

The priestess looked over to Anduin who sat beside her, smiling at him and leaning against the former Prince turned priest. "No. She suspects something, but I told her we're just close friends."

Anduin smiled and moved an arm around the priestess. "I heard the last part of your conversation, are you going to be okay with Liadrin being so far away?"

Tanadia nodded her head against his arm. "I'll be okay." She looked up at Anduin who smiled at her, both of them growing up a lot since the first months they became friends. Tanadia growing into a beautiful elven woman whilst Anduin became more manly compared to his early teenage years, something the young priestess was keenly interested in watching as she began to get more friendly with him. "Does it matter if I tell my parents about us? Liadrin seems to think it will be a big deal and that they will be very judgemental of you once I tell them."

Anduin let out a small, nervous laugh. "Y-you want to tell your parents about us?"

"N-not if you don't want to." Tanadia said, giving Anduin a set of wide eyes as if she had done something wrong. "I'm sorry if -"

"No, it's fine." Anduin placed a hand on her arm. "We've only just started this." He let out a nervous laugh and rubbed the back of his neck. "If I'm honest, you're the first person I have been with. My father would always tell me to study over everything else." He smiled sadly at some of the memories that flooded his mind. "I miss him..."

Tanadia rested her head on his arm and hugged him. "I never met him, but he sounded like a great man. I am sorry for your loss."

"Thank you. He was the best father I could ask for." Anduin looked at the priestess on his arm and smiled at the top of her head. He had yet to kiss her and didn't know when the right time was, or what to do if ever the opportunity arose. He wanted to plant a gentle kiss on the top of her head, like he remembered his mother used to do to him, but didn't know how Tanadia would react if he did. Instead he just settled for taking hold of her hand. "I'm sorry about your grandmother too. I saw her around the city on several occasions and she seemed like a kind spirit. I would have loved to have met her properly before she died."

Tanadia looked up at Anduin who was still holding her hand, but keeping his focus on the other people praying in the Cathedral whilst they sat together in silence, a rare moment for them recently as both Liadrin and Thalina had been around her. As she looked at the side of his face, she saw him taking in the room and wanted to kiss him, especially the moment she came back from the Broken Shore. She had kept their _relationship_ a secret for a month before the Legion invaded and was worried she wouldn't get to say goodbye to both him and her parents if she was going to die there.

"Anduin?" She said softly, making him look over to her. "I..."

"Tana?" Thalina called out, making both of them sit further away from each other to keep what they had hidden from everyone they knew. "There you are." The Magister said with a smile, walking over to her daughter and smiling at Anduin who sat nearby. "How are you?" She asked him, getting a smile and a nod in return.

"I am good, thank you." He said, watching Thalina sit inbetween both him and Tanadia.

"Did I miss her?" Thalina asked her daughter.

"Yes, sorry mama. She left a few minutes ago and seemed to be in a hurry." Tanadia looked passed her mother who looked down at their hands the moment she took hold of them, smiling at Anduin who smiled at her. "Have you come here for me or to see Li Li?"

"A bit of both." Thalina told her, looking at her daughter. "Since she's not here now, I was wondering if you wanted to do something?"

"Uhm..." Tanadia looked behind her mother for a split second, locking eyes with Anduin before looking back at her mother. "What do you have in mind?"

"We could spend time in the Park? Visit Snow and drop off some flowers at his grave? See your father? Any of all three of them." Thalina looked over her shoulder and towards Anduin who pretended to not listen in on the conversation. "We could visit the statue of your father too if you want to tag along. Victoria placed it in the centre of the Park so people could pay their respects to him."

Anduin smiled at the offer and nodded his head in agreement to IT. Mostly so he could spend a bit more time with Tanadia, but also so he could visit his father's statue for a second time today. "I would love to tag along and see my father's statue. Thank you for the offer."

"Brilliant!" Thalina clapped her hands together, standing up with both of them and ignoring the fact that she was the shortest out of the three and looked more like their younger sister if people saw them from behind. She shook her head of the thought when she realised she had said nothing after standing up. "Let's get going!"


	44. Chapter 44

**A Rare Night Together**

"It's been more than a week your panic attack." Athrodar said, standing next to Victoria who sat on the bench on the balcony to her parents bedroom. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm better than I was. Though I said that last time and just the council mentioning... _that _sent me back to here." Victoria looked over to her father and smiled a little at him, closing her eyes when he placed a hand on top of her head and stroking her hair. "How's mother? I haven't seen much of her since you both took over my duties of ruling the city."

"Your mother has fallen back into the role of ruling so easily it was like she was made for it." Athrodar let out a small laugh, sitting down beside his daughter. "Saying that, she was ruling for a long time before I joined her Forsaken, including her being Ranger-General of Quel'Thalas."

"She's back in her comfort zone." Victoria said, resting her head on his shoulder and looking out at the city below. "Though I hope you are still getting some attention from her. Between ruling this city and looking after my siblings, I'm wondering if she has even spoken to you today?"

"When she woke up and whilst we were having breakfast." Athrodar smiled at his daughter who frowned at him. "But don't worry, we have both talked about it and we have agreed that my day will be spent with our eldest."

Victoria smiled brighter and cuddled up to her father. "I would very much like that. We haven't spent a day together for a long time."

Athrodar kissed the top of her head and rubbed her arm the moment he put it his own around her. "No we have not, something I hope to rectify in the next few days."

Keeping her eyes closed and a smile plastered on her face, Victoria melted into the half-hug Athrodar was giving her and holding onto her father as if her life depended on it. She had said on several occasions to him that, although Sylvanas was her hero and person she looked up to and molded herself on as a ranger, Athrodar was her 'favourite parent' and the one she could talk to openly and loved spending time with, even if it was becoming a rarity over the last few years.

"I want to go back to the Broken Isles, papa." She whispered, using the nickname her siblings used when they spoke to Athrodar, something he had noticed instantly and realised she was no longer speaking as Queen Victoria, but as the still very young elven ranger they had adopted. "We need to help those who are taking the fight to the demons, sacrificing their lives to keep the darkness at bay."

"We will, little one." Athrodar told her. "When you're ready and the armies of Stormwind are ready, we will go to Dalaran and we will help them with their campaign. Your aunt and uncle are looking forward to Stormwind's contribution and to have you with them."

"I'm looking forward to being with them too." Victoria admitted. "But I think I want to do what mama has planned. To fight as a family, to strengthen our name and let everybody know that the Windrunner's aren't to be messed with."

Athrodar couldn't help but smile, kissing the top of Victoria's head and squeezing her tightly in his half-hug. "She wants us to build a strong future for your brother and sisters. And, since you and Tanadia are still young, we were hoping you would help us in building this new world your mother and I are planning."

"I definately want to. I have missed the old days with you two, fighting our enemies as a family instead of with my army."

Athrodar continued to smile, thinking back to the days when they all fought side by side to get to Stormwind, taking it from the Alliance as a family and building a legacy for their children in the meantime. "I have missed the thrill of a fight at times and when we were looking for you, I could see Sylvanas has too."

Victoria yawned and nodded her head against his chest, staying under the arm he had around her. "Then it's settled, we are going to fight the Legion as a family. The armies of Stormwind will fight with us too, but to have you and mama on the battlefield with me again will be something I look forward to."

"Me too." Athrodar whispered. "Me too."

* * *

Sylvanas stood up and stretched her arms and legs after sitting on the throne for the last few hours and thanking the Titans that the day had come to and end. "If there's one thing I miss about being undead, it's never having to stretch after sitting down for so long." She looked over to Cyndia who smiled and nodded her head in agreement. "But the pros of being alive with the great love of my life far outweighs that."

"Without a doubt, my Lady." Cyndia agreed, walking with Sylvanas as she began to make her way out of Stormwind Keep and towards the Cathedral Square. "Where are we off to now, my Lady?"

Sylvanas let out a small laugh at the use of titles from Cyndia, glancing over to her. "You don't have to keep calling me that. Just saying Sylvanas is fine." She looked forward the moment they left Stormwind Keep, looking up at the huge statue of Varian outside and smiling at it. "And to answer your question, we are going to the Grand Cathedral to see Tana and my children who are spending the day with her."

Cyndia smiled and followed Sylvanas to the Cathedral Square. "I have yet to be around your children properly, my Lady." She shook her head when she saw Sylvanas smile at the title. "Sorry, force of habbit."

"It's fine. And I'm hoping you'll love them as much as everyone else seems to." Sylvanas said, passing under one of the gate houses connecting the districts together. "It might just be so they can get on my good side, but I want to believe they just love my children because they're adorable."

"And because it's rare to see elven children outside of Quel'Thalas." Cyndia told her. "Normally they would have to visit our homeland to see an elven child, but to have three in the Capital will give them a lot of attention."

Sylvanas picked up her pace a little, worried the attention might be affecting them in a negative way. "Let's get moving, I want to get to them before the attention overwhelms them."

Reaching the Grand Cathedral, Sylvanas quickly made her way inside and looked around for her children, hiding near the entrance when she saw Tanadia and Anduin sitting beside each other. "Interesting..." She muttered, pulling Cyndia towards her before she walked into the main hall. "What do you think is going on there?" She asked the Captain, watching her narrow her eyes at both of them.

"I have no idea... But they look to be more than friends by the way they are acting."

Sylvanas raised an eyebrow at the Captain. "Really?" She looked over to Tanadia and Anduin, watching them intently and momentarily forgetting about her children as she became curious about the little priestess. "I don't see... Oh."

Both Cyndia and Sylvanas watched Anduin put an arm around Tanadia, though neither one of them done anything else as they were both too timid to act on what they wanted to do. Though Tanadia showed some confidence as she cuddled up to the former prince which made both the women eavesdropping on them raise an eyebrow or two at the bold move. "It's actually quite cute." Cyndia mused, looking over to Sylvanas who smiled at them from a distance.

"It is. She is nothing like her father when it comes to this sort of thing apparently." Sylvanas said, looking over to Cyndia. "He wasted no time getting me in bed." She joked, both of them chuckling lightly. "But I suppose she is still a kid, she has no idea what to do and is clearly keeping this from us, so we can't talk to her about it."

Cyndia went back to watching them, catching a glimpse of Tahnir who was sleeping on a nearby pew with his sister Alleria whilst Cedani was being looked after by one of the elderly priestess'. "I think I found your children." She said, nodding over to them on the other side of the Cathedral.

"Fantastic." Sylvanas said, walking into the great hall and grinning to herself when she saw Tanadia and Anduin move away from each other to hide what both Sylvanas and Cyndia had figured out. "How have they been?" She asked the elderly priestess who was looking after Cedani.

"They have all been little angels, my Lady." The priestess said, handing Cedani over to her. "Especially this one."

Sylvanas smiled down at her sleeping children on the pew beside her, stroking Cedani's cheek with her finger. "Excellent." She replied to the priestess, glancing over to Tanadia and Anduin from the corner of her eye and grinning when she saw then sitting awkwardly near each other and not next to each other. "I should take them back to the keep, thank you for watching them whilst I was busy."

"It was my pleasure, your Grace. It's not everyday you get to look after elven children, especially royals." She bowed her head to Sylvanas who smiled warmly at her.

"If ever I need someone to look after them again, could I count on you coming to help?" Sylvanas asked, making the elderly priestess widen her eyes in surprise.

"I... I would love to, your Grace." She stammered, bowing her head deeply at the elf in front of her. "Thank you."

Sylvanas woke up her son, having Alleria wake up shortly after and looking over to the elderly priestess. "May I ask your name? So I can ask for you personally should we need someone to look after my littles on again?"

"It's Grace, your Grace." The priestess said, smiling at what she had just said as she found it a little funny.

"Hello, Grace. My name's Sylvanas, feel free to call me that over anything else." She smiled at the priestess before looking down at Tahnir who had Alleria holding his hand, watching her yawn and rub her eyes with her other hand. "Time to put these two sleepy heads to bed. Thank you again for looking after them."

"It was my pleasure." The priestess said, smiling when she watched them all leave the Cathedral, looking over to Tanadia who was waiting for her step mom to leave before shuffling over to Anduin again. "Watch yourself, young one." Grace told her from across the Cathedral. "Just because Liadrin isn't here, doesn't mean you should get distracted from your studies."

Tanadia lowered her head away from Grace's gaze. "I know..." She muttered, taking hold of Anduin's hand in the meantime and knowing the elderly priestess couldn't see it. "I'll study soon, I promise."

"Good." She said to the young elf. "Now don't get carried away with whatever you two plan to do, the classes are about to start soon."

Anduin smiled when Grace left them alone with the few Priests, Priestess' and Paladins dotted around the main hall, moving an arm around Tanadia once more and having her cuddle up to him once again. "That was a close one." He whispered, hearing her chuckle.

"It was." Tanadia agreed.

* * *

Athrodar made his way towards Sylvanas who was looking out at the city below from their balcony, hugging her from behind and looking at the city with her. "It's a beautiful night tonight."

"Mmm, hello there." Sylvanas whispered, smiling and leaning back against him. "It is a beautiful night, made even more so with such loving company."

"It feels like an age since I last saw you." Athrodar told her, hearing his wife giggle. "It does!" He exclaimed, having Sylvanas hold onto his arms when he began to extract them from her.

"No, stay." She span around to look at him and smiled the moment she could see his face. "It does feel like an age since we were last alone, my love." She admitted, placing both hands on his face. "But with all our kids asleep and the two of us alone on this balcony, it brings me back to the day we took Stormwind. When we were also alone on this balcony, our second night as living elves and filled with more love than we could have imagined."

"I am almost certain it's a fraction of what we feel now." Athrodar whispered, taking hold of one of her hands and moving it to his lips, kissing the palm of her hand and closing his eyes when she moved it back to his cheek. "Although we're never alone anymore, I think it's worth it as we have the children you have always dreamed of and, although there are some changes to it, the life you have wanted."

Sylvanas shook her head. "No. This is better than I could have ever imagined. Most of the time, I imagined us having twins, spending our breaks from ranger duty together in Windrunner Village and living our lives as Ranger-General and Ranger Lord." She leaned closer and kissed him lightly on the lips, pressing her head against his. "But we have something so much better than that. We have four children, five if you include Tanadia. An entire city and village that is being repaired as we speak." She gazed into his eyes when he opened them, smiling brightly at him. "And we love each other more than I could ever have thought possible at the time. It hurts being away from you, even if I know you're in the same building. I just want you beside me at all times, the two of us against the world."

Athrodar let out a small laugh and held his wife close to him. "We have this discussion at least once every month or two and yet, I never get tired of hearing it." He removed his arms from around Sylvanas and placed them on the strings holding his cloak to his body. "Our daughter remains in our bed for one final night, she has promised me this whilst you were busy. So I thought that tonight, we could sleep on the same bench that we slept on the first night here."

Sylvanas looked passed him and towards the bench in question, growing a huge smile on her face and knowing exactly why he brought it up. "You miss holding me, don't you? And here I thought I was the one who couldn't sleep without the other."

"I can so sleep without you." Athrodar closed his eyes and sighed, knowing he had just fallen for her trap. "Okay... That's not exactly what I meant."

"Oh?" Sylvanas grinned when she saw him roll his eyes. "What did you mean?"

"I..." He sighed again, knowing he couldn't talk his way out of this. "I can't sleep without you beside me."

"I know you are pretending that you can't sleep without me, but I know deep down, you miss holding your beautiful wife." Sylvanas purred, stroking a finger in circles across his chest.

"I miss holding my perfect bodied, smells like trees and apples, beautifully stunning wife who can only sleep with my arms around her." This time it was Athrodar's turn to smile at her, slowly backing up towards the bench. "Now, does this one in a billion elf want to sleep on her husband, wrapped in both his arms and his cloak and watching the stars in the night sky above us, or does she want to go back inside and sleep beside her daughter for the millionth time?"

Sylvanas bit her bottom lip and slowly pushed Athrodar onto the bench. "I definately want to sleep in the arms of my husband whom I have missed greatly."

Although the plan was to lay down on the bench, Athrodar sat down and dragged his wife down onto his lap, the two of them facing each other and gazing into each other's eyes. "We should make the most of this opportunity, being alone and so close to each other."

Sylvanas moved her hands to his hair, pushing both through it and gripping onto big clumps of it, forcing her lips onto his and moaning into his mouth when she melted into the kiss they were sharing. "I want to spend all night like this." She whispered between kisses. "To stay awake all night and to sleep in our bed together when Victoria wakes up."

Athrodar smiled and moved his hands to her waist. "Sounds like a fun plan." He whispered back to her, moving around so Sylvanas was laying down on the bench, pinning her under him and grinning at her raised eyebrow. "Doesn't mean we can't make it a little more fun."

Sylvanas looked up to the doors to the balcony behind her, seeing they were closed and looking back down to Athrodar who began to plan several kisses up and down her neck. "Oh you have missed me, alright." She purred, feeling him pull up her tunic and watching as he dropped it beside the bench. "I am not going to stop you worshipping me, you know that."

"I know." Athrodar said, planting several kisses on either breast and taking each nipple into his mouth to get her gasping in pleasure. "Calm down, my love. I still have to make the trip further south."

Sylvanas bit her bottom lip as he began to travel further down her body, knowing he loved to kiss and worship her flat and toned stomach, spending a lot of time there in the past before making his way south to his favourite place. "All the attention you give this spot..." She muttered, moving her hands through her hair and squirming a little when he began to pull down her leggings slowly and kissing just above her crotch. "It makes all those training days worth it."

"Like I always say." Athrodar began, pulling her leggings down and off, dropping them beside her tunic. "Your body is perfect and you should show it off as often as possible." He grinned when he looked up at her. "Make all the women of the court jealous and the men envious of how beautiful you are."

Sylvanas giggled when Athrodar began to make his way back up her body with his lips. "You are such a tease!" She squeeled just before he kissed her hard on the lips. "You can't take off my clothes and not finish the task."

Athrodar moved one hand down her body and stroked her netherlips with two fingers. "Oh I plan to finish the task, but I want to look you in the eyes when your toes curl, your fingers dig into the bench your back arches when I make you cum with just my fingers."

Letting out a moan that was mostly covered by the back of her hand, Sylvanas closed her eyes and smiled when she felt the two fingers teasing her a few seconds ago, enter her whilst having Athrodar's thumb circle her clit. "Gods... Sometimes I don't deserve you." She said, pulling his head down so she could kiss him hard on the lips, forcing her tongue into his mouth and distracting him momentarily from his primary task. "You treat me better than anyone else in the past has."

"Better than all your previous lovers?" Athrodar asked, knowing the answer but still wanting to hear her say it just to boost his ego.

"Much better." She whispered, arching her back once more when she felt his fingers and thumb go to work once more. "Ah... faster." She whimpered, wrapping her arms around his neck and gasping when he started to nip, suck and kiss at her neck. "I need to compliment you more..." She breathed, moaning into his ear shortly after.

"Yes you do." He whispered, kissing her neck some more. "Keep complimenting me and I will continue to make you feel like this."

"Wait, wait..." Sylvanas placed a hand on his cheek and made him look at her. "Let me be on top."

Athrodar smiled and sat up, pulling Sylvanas up and laying down on his back, watching her climb onto his lap and lay down on top of him. "As much as you like being pinned and worshipped by your husband, you love to take the lead so much more."

"I do." Sylvanas agreed, reaching into his leggings and pulling out his _ranger_, smirking at him when she lined it up with her nether lips. "Ready?" She asked, chuckling lightly when he threw his cloak around her to keep her warm. "Thank you, my love."

"Have to keep somethings private, don't want some nosey druid flying around and seeing my Queen naked. Only I get that privilege."

Sylvanas bit her bottom lip as she sunk down on Athrodar's _ranger_, smiling at his comment and leaning down to lay on top of him for a moment. "A privilege that was earnt." She purred, kissing him on the lips. "And it's my turn to take control and reward you for such undying loyalty."

Throughout the rest of the night and into the early hours of the morning, the two of them spent their time together in similar circumstances for several rounds, though they did rest on eachother inbetween each round of love making. When the sun began to rise, they were both exhausted, sitting on the stone floor and wrapped in Athrodar's cloak.

"I have missed this a lot." Sylvanas said, catching her breath and sitting in front of Athrodar, having his arms around her as they watched the sunrise. "Spending all night with you, having as much sex as possible and staying awake until the sunrise." She tilted her head up to catch a glimpse of Athrodar's face, closing her eyes when he kissed her forehead. "Has having kids really made us lose touch with what we done almost on a weekly basis?"

"It has, but we both know having our children is worth all of that. Even if we only get to do this every couple of months." He began to trace circles on the back of her hand, smiling when he watched her move around and lay on her side, pressing her ear up to his chest just to hear his heartbeat. "Stay awake a little longer." He whispered in her ear. "Then we can spend hours in bed together once Victoria wakes up."

"I'll try." Sylvanas muttered, yawning shortly after and giving Athrodar all the information he needed to know she wouldn't last five more minutes.

"I'll carry you to bed if you don't." He told her, not getting a response and knowing she had already drifted off after only a few seconds of telling her to stay awake. "Goodnight, my love." He whispered in her ear, kissing it shortly after when he saw her eyes were closed and she had infact drifted off to sleep.


	45. Chapter 45

**Farstrider Academy**

"How are my recruits doing?" Victoria asked, sitting on her throne and looking at Alina who had remained in charge of the new ranger recruits of Stormwind's Academy.

"They're getting there, my Lady." Alina said, keeping her hands behind her back, hood up and over her head and a neutral look on her face.

"But?" Victoria now asked, tilted her head a little.

Alina sighed and began to pace in front of the Queen, being the only two in the Throne Room made it all the easier to keep her Queen's attention and to tell her the less than good news. "They are far from ready, my Lady. If you want them to fight for Stormwind in two weeks time, expect casualties. They have the basics down, but they are yet to work in a group and against an enemy."

Victoria picked at the arm of her throne, not wanting to hear this but knowing deep down the time frame she had given to Alina was unrealistic. "How long do you need for them to be combat prepared and ready to fight the demons?"

"Two months at the very least, my Lady." Alina told her without hesitation, knowing it was far from what Victoria wanted to hear but she had never been one to skirt around the truth. "Three if you want them to be up to par with the last batch on their first combat mission."

"Damn it..." Victoria stood up from her throne and began to pace too, standing beside the great chair and looking down at her boots. "Are any of them even close to being ready in two weeks? Even if it's just a handful."

"There are two or three who are, my Lady, but it's still a risk to bring them." Alina told her, looking around the empty throne room. "Where are your parents, my Lady? If you don't mind me asking."

"They're taking my brother to Silvermoon. It's nearing his tenth birthday and since Stormwind is on military mode, our academy isn't open to those under eighteen. So Silvermoon and the Farstriders are the next option for them." Victoria went back to pacing back and forth, looking at one of the paintings of Varian that had remained on the walls of Stormwind Keep, not wanting to remove the previous kings from history of this place. "We are going to be going arriving in Dalaran with a weaker force than I first anticipated."

"Rhonin and Vereesa won't mind, my Lady. They will just be happy their niece is arriving with reinforcements and soldiers in which they are lacking." Alina watched her stop pacing, knowing her words had sunk in. "They have mages and a handful of rangers that have stayed loyal to your aunt. They don't have the soldiers or rangers that we can offer with just our reserves, it will be better than going with recruits who aren't even close to being ready."

"You're right." Victoria admitted, looking over to her Ranger-Captain. "Stay here in the city when the army moves out. I want you to meet up with us with the new recruits when you think they're ready."

Alina bowed her head to her Queen. "Will do, my Lady. They will be ready in two months, three at most."

"Good, thank you for the update." Victoria sat down on her throne just as Alina bowed her head, waving her away and looking over to the doors leading to the personal chambers. "I hope you two are having fun..." She muttered, referring to her parents who were currently visiting the Farstrider Academy to get their son into their ranger programme.

* * *

"Fancy seeing you two here." Halduron said with a smirk, folding his arms and looking at both Sylvanas and Athrodar, though it was the former who rolled their eyes.

"Oh please, it's only because our academy are training soldiers and we are heading back to the Broken Isles soon." Sylvanas looked down at her son and placed a hand on his head. "He just wants to be a ranger like his parents, do you think you have space for another fledgling ranger?"

Halduron looked back and forth between Athrodar and Sylvanas, looking down at Tahnir who was waiting patiently for an answer whilst at the same time having all of his dreams placed on the Ranger-General of Silvermoon's shoulders. "Let me see what he can do." Was all he said, nodding towards the Farstrider Academy behind him.

Whilst Athrodar followed Halduron, Sylvanas kneeled beside her son and placed her hands on either side of his face. "Don't worry, okay? Just show them what I have taught you and you will do perfectly." She kissed him on the forehead when he nodded at her, too nervous to actually speak. "Okay, sweetie. Show them what it means to be a Windrunner."

"You know he's going to get in, right?" Athrodar looked over to Halduron who was pretending to ignore him. "If the other rangers in the Academy hear about their Ranger-General turning back the son of a Windrunner and Sunblade, two of the five famous houses of Quel'Thalas, they might start to ask questions of that Ranger-General."

"Or they will think that said son is nothing like his parents." Halduron said, glancing over to Athrodar with a smirk. "Imagine that, the son of a legendary ranger and her almost as good husband, not good enough to get into the Farstrider Academy."

Once Sylvanas and Tahnir made it to the archery range, Sylvanas narrowed her eyes at her husband who stood beside Halduron who continued to smirk at his own comment. "What did you say?" She asked, knowing Athrodar couldn't keep his mouth shut when it came to talking to their kin.

"Nothing." He said, glancing over to his wife who narrowed her eyes a little more.

"I know you, Athrodar. You have to brag when it comes to talking to Halduron or anyone else with standing in this place." She stepped forward and took hold of his tunic, pulling him in closer to her narrowed eyes turned glare. "What did you say?" She said with gritted teeth, wanting the best for her son and not wanting anything, or anyone, to mess up his chances of becoming a ranger. Even if it was her husband who was in the way.

"J-Just that our son was going to get in." Athrodar stammered, becoming a little scared of his wife when she was in an angered mood.

"He better." She muttered, her glare softening a little, though she continued to grip onto his tunic tightly. "If not, you're sleeping on your own for a month."

Halduron let out a small laugh, having the smile on his face wipe away when Sylvanas' glare shifted to him. "Okay." He said, clearing his throat and getting a little hot under the collar, remembering that glare and feeling uncomfortable as it brought him back to the many times she had that look on her face when she was the Ranger-General of Silvermoon. "You have ten arrows, ten targets. One arrow per target. If you hit the bullseye, excellent. If not, don't worry. Just get as close to it as you can. There are ten points per target, ten for the middle, one for the outer most ring. And none if you miss the target completely."

"You've got this, honey." Sylvanas said, letting go of Athrodar's tunic and watching her son nock the first arrow in place.

Halduron slowly nodded his head after the first three arrows, all of them hitting the seven to nine markers. He raised an eyebrow however when the next two shots hit the bullseye, getting two tens in a row and taking his score past the minimum requirement to get in. Now all Halduron was waiting for was the final tally to decide whether he would be put in the officers training class or the rangers class.

"If it hasn't changed since I was one of the Captains here, then he is in." Sylvanas muttered, watching her son draw back his sixth arrow and hit the eight score on the target. "Now he just has to hit two more bullseyes and two more high numbers and he will be eligible for Officer training when he finishes the academy."

"With four targets remaining, he just has to not miss." Athrodar said, looking down at Sylvanas who turned to face him and letting out a sigh when she covered his mouth with her hand.

"You're not allowed to talk until we know he's in their academy." Sylvanas told him, narrowing her eyes when she saw he was about to speak. "What did I just say? You're not allowed to talk because you will say something stupid and he won't get in. Or you will put him off and he will miss the targets."

Halduron chuckled lightly after overhearing them, shaking his head and going back to watching Tahnir hit one of the inner circles on his seventh shot and then bullseye on his eighth. "You two fight as if you've been married for centuries."

Whilst Athrodar found the funny side of his comment, Sylvanas elbowed her husband for laughing. "Don't encourage him."

"Me or Halduron?" Athrodar asked.

"Both of you." She replied through gritted teeth, watching her son hit the eight score and then the nine score. "Well done, honey." She said in a tone completely opposite to the one she had used to both men standing beside her.

"I didn't hit the bullseye as much as I had wanted." Tahnir said to his mother, being pulled in to her embrace and kissed on the cheek.

"That's okay. You were very close with every shot, that just shows how crucial our training sessions were." Sylvanas told him, smiling at her son who looked uncertain. "You did fantastic, okay?"

"You did." Halduron agreed, standing beside Sylvanas and looking down at Tahnir. "If you want it, there is a place open in the Farstrider Academy for you." He looked over to Sylvanas and Athrodar who had made his way beside his family. "You two know what this means if he joins, right? You haven't forgotten?"

Sylvanas shook her head, keeping her focus on her son. "No and I have discussed this with him at great length."

"I will be staying in the Farstrider Academy with the other rangers for ten months, then I get to go home for two before the next year starts." Tahnir said, looking up at Halduron who smiled and nodded.

"Correct. So I say it again. There is a place open in the Farstrider Academy for you, Tahnir Windrunner. If you want it, it's yours."

Tahnir looked at his mother and smiled at her whilst she smiled back, though Sylvanas' eyes had the beginnings of tears in them as she was a possible answer away from losing her son for ten months whilst he learnt to become a ranger. "Go." She whispered, smiling brightly at her son. "Take this opportunity to live your dream of becoming a ranger like your father and I."

Tahnir stepped forward and hugged his mother, just knowing she needed this hug more than anything in the world right now and only from him. "I'll be fine, mom." He whispered, hearing her let out a small laugh and sniffing shortly after as her emotions got the better of her. "Don't cry, this is what we both wanted."

"I know." Sylvanas whispered, loving that her son was concerned for her and trying to keep her calm. "This is what we both wanted." She repeated, holding onto her son tightly.

"I think that's a yes." Athrodar told Halduron, both of them watching as Sylvanas refused to let go of her son. "When she lets go of him."

Halduron smiled and waved away his comment. "It's fine. The next year doesn't start for another two weeks. I'm sure she would have let go of him by them."

"You'd be surprised..." Athrodar muttered, watching Tahnir begin to struggle in Sylvanas' arms though she refused to let go of him.

* * *

"Vic!"

"Tana?" Victoria tilted her head at her sister who was running down the corridor leading to the throne room. "What are you -"

Tanadia leapt at her sister, giggling and holding onto her tightly. "I'm so happy!" She exclaimed.

"I can see that." Victoria said, pulling Tanadia off her to look at her sister. "Can I ask why?"

Tanadia didn't really want to tell anyone why she was happy, but she trusted Victoria more than the rest of her family to keep a secret. She began to smile shyly, leaning closer to her sister who leaned closer to her in return. "I have been dating Anduin." She told her, watching her sister's eyes widen in surprise. "But don't tell anyone. You're the only person who knows."

"Wh... H... What?" Victoria was a loss for words, not expecting her sister, someone she cared for greatly and was still very young, was apparently dating the former Prince of the city she was running. "Tanadia, what were you thinking?" She asked when she finally got her words together, watching her sister recoil at her question.

"What do you mean? He was my friend whilst we were learning under Liadrin's tutorship, then one thing led to another and he asked me to be his girlfriend." Tanadia began to smile at her sentence, liking the sound of it and ignoring Victoria's less than amused face. "We've not done anything yet other than hold hands and hug each other. I wouldn't even know what to do anyway... And I don't think he does either."

Victoria sighed and began to walk towards her throne, sitting down and propping her head up with her fist to look at her sister. "Are you sure about this?"

"I am." Tanadia told her, making her way towards her sister and dropping to her knees once she was in front of her. "He's been so nice to me and has been the shoulder to cry on, especially when it came to Grandmama."

Victoria's face softened, stretching out a hand towards Tanadia's face and placing it gently on her cheek when she didn't back away from it. "Tana... I-I didn't know."

Tanadia shook her head and stood up, taking hold of her sister's hand when it fell from her cheek. "It's fine." She whispered, smiling at her. "Don't tell papa. I want to tell him when we're both ready to tell people."

Victoria laughed lightly at her sister. "Except if you're telling your sister Queen." She said, standing up and hugging Tanadia tightly. "I'm happy for you, sister." She whispered, kissing her on the cheek. "Just take things at your own pace, is all I can say. If you don't feel comfortable doing something, don't do it and come to me."

Tanadia nodded and smiled at her sister, being thankful that she was older and more experienced in relationships than she was. At least, the most experienced person she has told, her parents are yet to know as well as Sylvanas who she sees as her second mother. "I will keep that in mind, Vic." She said, pulling back and looking her in the eyes, still seeing the same look of pain she had seen since they got the news about Sera over a month ago. "How are you feeling, by the way?"

"I'm good." The Queen replied with a smile, though she knew Tanadia wasn't on about right now. "I'm getting there. It's just difficult to move passed this whilst I never got to say goodbye to Sera or Grandmama. Snow's death hurt too, but at least I got to be with him in his final moments."

Tanadia's smile became sad, looking down at their hands and focusing a little to conjure up some holy magic to soothe her. A trick Liadrin had taught her and she had utilised every now and then when they were on the Broken Isles. "I want you to come to me if you feel down, okay?" She smiled when Victoria rolled her eyes. "I'm serious. Come to me if you want to talk, I am your siste and I love you, Vic. I care for you a lot too."

"Am I interrupting?"

Both Victoria and Tanadia looked over to Elaria who had a smirk on her face, watching both sisters let go of each other to face her fully. "Elaria. No, you're not interrupting." Victoria said, walking towards the night elf.

"I'm so glad you're okay." Elaria said the second she hugged Victoria. "How are you doing without my sister with you?"

"Probably the same as you." Victoria whispered, closing her eyes and holding onto Elaria a little tighter. "It gets difficult sometimes at night, but I'm getting there." She pulled back from the hug and tilted her head at the night elf. "Why are you here anyway?"

"To see you, to make sure you're okay." Elaria saw Victoria wasn't fully buying it, letting out a small sigh and dropping her shoulders a little. "And because I need some help. We are hunting the Eredar that killed my sister, I just need a couple of rangers to help with this, five maximum and then we can begin our hunt."

"I can spare a few of my rangers, sure. A small price to kill that demon bastard that took Sera from us."

Elaria smiled and shook her hand. "Thank you, Vic. Is it okay if I spend the night? I haven't had a chance to sleep in a bed for a week now."

"Of course." Victoria said with a smile. "Your old room good with you?"

"It's perfect, thanks."

Just as Elaria was about to head off to her assigned room, Sylvanas, Athrodar and Tahnir had returned from Silvermoon with good news, though Victoria didn't know that yet. "So?" She asked once she saw her parents. "How did he do?"

"Out of one hundred, he scored eighty-eight. Two away from the Officer minimum, but as he is only nine and got that high, they might put him in anyway." Athrodar stopped walking and looked back to Sylvanas and Tahnir, shaking his head and smiling when he saw his wife still hadn't let go of him, keeping hold of his hand now instead of his entire body but still having to keep hold of their son. "Your mother took it really well when he was told he got in, so much so that she has yet to let go of him for more than a minute."

Victoria chuckled and smiled at her brother who didn't seem to mind he had his mother's entire attention. "Well done, little brother. I am proud of you."

Athrodar looked over to Elaria who turned her gaze away from him the second they locked eyes. "El... It's so good to -"

"Who do I speak to about the rangers? I'd like to see them before we leave tomorrow." Elaria asked Victoria, ignoring Athrodar entirely.

Both Sylvanas and Victoria looked at each other then towards Elaria, though Sylvanas' gaze turn to Athrodar and became sympathetic with him as she saw just by his body language that he was hurt his best friend was now ignoring him completely. "Talk to Cyndia in the Rangers District." The Queen told her. "Tell her that I sent you, she won't argue then."

Elaria bowed her head to Victoria. "Thank you." She said softly, walking passed Athrodar and looking at both Tahnir and Sylvanas, smiling at the first and acknowledging the second. "Well done on getting in, you're going to make a fantastic ranger." She paused for a second, not turning to look at Athrodar and instead having her gaze focus on Sylvanas. "Like your mother."

One Elaria had left Stormwind Keep, both Victoria and Sylvanas turned their attention to Athrodar who had remained silent, though they both could see he was greatly pained by Elaria's hatred towards him. "Athrodar..." Sylvanas muttered, letting go of her son and slowly walking towards him.

"Leave me alone..." He whispered, shrugging off her hand when she placed it on his shoulder. "I want to be alone. Spend time with our son, he done fantastic today and deserves all the praise he gets." He began to walk away, being stopped by Victoria and Tanadia who he didn't notice was in the Keep with them.

"Papa.." Tanadia whispered, placing a hand on his chest to stop him and looking him in the eyes, becoming shocked when she saw the tears in them and knowing that, despite being one of the strongest people she knew, he felt entirely weak in this moment and all because his best friend for decades had just treated him like dirt on a shoe.

"Don't... please..." He muttered, not looking up at either of them. "Congratulate your brother, celebrate his achievement. I will be back before the days end."

All three women watched him leave the throne room and walk towards the royal chambers, having both sisters look towards Sylvanas who was visibly pained and most of all, stuck on what to do. She normally would go to Athrodar despite him wanting to be alone and comfort him the best she could, but this felt entirely different. This felt like a part of him had been ripped out and there was nothing she could do except leave him be.

Something she hated greatly, the feelign of uselessness.

"Honey, go find your sisters." Sylvanas whispered to Tahnir, kissing him on the cheek when he nodded.

"I've never seen him like that." Tanadia said, having Victoria shake her head whilst Sylvanas remained silent.

"I have, but not to this extent." Sylvanas told them. "Last time, it was when I asked about his Blood-Queen, the woman he loved before me. He had a similar look on his face before leaving to be alone with his thoughts. But this feels diferent, like a part of him had just died."

"What can we do?" Victoria asked, looking back and forth between her sister and her mother.

"Nothing." Sylvanas told her, "We have to let him be alone. Despite wanting to go to him and comfort him, he usually needs to be alone with his thoughts for a few hours. If he's not back to his usual self by the time we're eating dinner, I will talk to him." Sylvanas said, walking over to both of them and hugging them, kissing either one on the cheek. "Tell me about your day, so I can distract myself."


	46. Chapter 46

**Time Alone**

"Is everyone here?"

Cyndia looked around the council, slowly nodding her head when she had finished. "I think so, yes."

Victoria sat down on her throne and looked out at the council, glancing over to Sylvanas who stood beside her alongside Tanadia. "Good. You are all here because we are leaving for Dalaran in two days and I need this council to take over running the city again whilst we are fighting back the demons from this world." She saw several nods, putting her stress at ease a little as she was worried they would complain about their Queen going off to war so soon after coming back. "Whilst I am away, I will need five of you to lead the council and Stormwind, whilst the rest of you go about your duties as usual, reporting to those elected five just like you would me."

"We will elect the leaders before the end of the day, your Grace." One of them said, watching Victoria smile.

"Good. Thank you." Victoria looked over to her mother who gave her a slight nod. "Now I know this was a short meeting, but I have some family business to sort out. If you need me, come find me in either my chambers or at the Park. Failing that, come to Cyndia and she will come find me."

Sylvanas took hold of her daughter's hand the moment she stepped away, walking out of the throne room with Tanadia and being joined by Thalina who walked into them, staying with her daughter but a little confused on where they were going. "What's happening?" She asked them.

"Papa hasn't been himself lately. With two days left until we return to Dalaran, we are going to try to get him up and out."

Sylvanas nodded at Tanadia's summing up of the situation. "Basically that, yes. But ever since Elaria visited last week and ignored him completely, he has barely left our room."

Thalina frowned but followed them anyway, stopping outside the door. "I'll wait here, this is more of a you two thing." She said, pointing at both Victoria and Sylvanas.

"Come on, let's go." Victoria said, opening the door and slipping inside, followed by Sylvanas who looked back to Tanadia.

"Are you staying out here?" She asked, watching the priestess nod and smiling at her. "Okay, we'll tell you if we make any progress."

"You're wasting your time." Athrodar muttered, feeling someone climb into the bed behind him. "I just want to be alone, like I have told you several times."

"I hear you." Sylvanas whispered, laying behind her husband and hugging him whilst planting a kiss on his cheek. "But both Victoria and I are staying here with you to show you are not alone, that losing Elaria doesn't mean you have lost your family."

Athrodar couldn't help but smile, rolling on to his back and moving an arm around his wife whilst Victoria climbed in on the other side and hugged him too. "I know I'm not alone." He told them. "That I have not lost my family. Its just been a tough few days with El ignoring me. But having you both here right now makes it easier."

"So, you know that means that you have to have us around, right?" Victoria grinned when she heard him chuckle. "We aren't leaving you, papa. Tanadia is just outside that door and she is just as worried as we are."

Athrodar kissed the top of Victoria's head. "Go get her? I want my little priestess in here too."

"Okay papa." Victoria said, smiling at this change of mood compared to the last few days.

Sylvanas rested her head on her husband's chest, closing her eyes at the sound of his heartbeat and smiling a little when he placed his arms around her. "I have been worried about you, my love. You've been hiding in here since Elaria left and I barely get to see you anymore." She sat up a little just to look down at him, keeping Athrodar's arms around her but giving him a look of concern. "You've not even left the bed today. That's a lot less than what you did yesterday. I don't even know if you'll be ready for when we go to Dalaran in two days."

"I will be." Athrodar told her, sitting up and having Sylvanas practically sit on his lap. "I was thinking about getting up and moving on from this just a few minutes before you both came in here." He looked over to the door and saw both Tanadia and Thalina walk in along with Victoria. "My family is here, maybe not all of it, but those who understand what is going on." His attention turned back to Sylvanas who placed a hand on his cheek. "I will be ready for the trip to Dalaran, I promise."

Sylvanas smiled a little wider, but remained unconvinced. She was just happy he was trying, which was the main thing she wanted to see today. ""If you want, we can share a bath later? Just you and me... and maybe the girls if you want some more company."

"I hope you don't mean us." Victoria said already knowing she didn't but smiling when she heard the sigh.

"No... I meant _my_ girls. Those who serve us two." Sylvanas looked over to Thalina and grew a smirk. "Unless you want to join?"

"I..." Thalina suddenly went red in the cheeks, not expecting the question and not coming up with a quick response, instead letting her one letter response as well as the question linger for far too long. "I..."

"Relax, Thal. I was joking." Sylvanas hugged Athrodar, pressing her ear to his chest once more. "Although, if he wants it.."

Athrodar put up his hand and shook his head, smiling the entire time as he found Thalina's reaction to be amusing. "I don't, don't worry. I know it would make you feel uncomfortable and I refuse to put you through that."

Thalina smiled and bowed her head to him. "Thank you. I hope you are feeling better than the previous days. Our daughter has told me what you've been like and I just want you to recover, okay? I know what we had in the past is not where we are anymore, but I still care for you."

"I will recover, Thal. Don't worry." Athrodar kissed the top of Sylvanas' head, pressing his cheek in the same spot shortly after and closing his eyes as he hugged his wife. "With my family here, it shouldn't take long."

Sylvanas pulled back and looked at him. "Do you want to take that bath now? We could sit together, have your arms around me as we both lay in the bath naked."

Athrodar began to chuckle, shaking his head and having Sylvanas frown at him. "You seem to have forgotten, somehow, that we're not alone."

Sylvanas looked over to Victoria who was pinching her nose, letting out a long sigh and slumping her shoulders. When she looked over to Tanadia, she saw her shocked face at hearing something so... inappropriate? At least it felt like that for the young Priestess. She had somehow managed to keep her innocence intact whilst being in this family, which was a mystery to those who had noticed. Finally, her gaze turned to Thalina who became red in the face, looking away from both of them and making Sylvanas grin. "I would like to apologise -"

"Save it!" Victoria exclaimed, interrupting her mother. "You do this so often that I feel like it's not worth you apologising anymore."

"I would like that bath, actually." Athrodar whispered in her ear, planting a kiss there shortly after. "It sounds relaxing."

Victoria began to leave the room, standing beside the door. "Once you two are finished, I'd say in an hour or two, I'll come back and we can spend the day together before I have to return to the throne room to meet the elected council members who are taking control of Stormwind whilst I'm away."

Sylvanas watched both Tanadia and Thalina leave with their daughter, climbing off the bed and taking hold of Athrodar's hand, walking backwards into their bathroom and having a huge smile on her face the entire time. "Do you know how much I love sharing a bath with you?"

"It can't be that good, we rarely do this." Athrodar told her, making her roll her eyes.

"That's because when we do, we get distracted and sleep in the bath for hours." She took hold of Athrodar's shirt and pulled it up and over his head, throwing it to the side and admiring his chest for the millionth in her lifetime. "I never get tired of this..." She whispered, placing a hand on his abs and feeling her heart beat faster.

Athrodar reached for her cloak, taking it off her body once he untied the strings and working on her shoulderguards shortly after. "I see we went for the full armour today. Was it an important meeting?"

"The entire council was there." Sylvanas told him, keeping her voice low. "I don't envy our daughter. I hated dealing with the people when I was in charge, so to stand in front of thirty council members whenever a meeting is called is something I wish to never do."

"Neither do I." He agreed, throwing her tunic to the side with his shirt and pulling her in for a hug, just so they were skin to skin. "I never get tired of this." He whispered to her, hearing her chuckle as she placed her ear on his chest once more.

"Of course you don't. Anything to have these pressed against you." She said, pulling back and cupping her breasts. "And we both know I have had to go up to bra sizes since I first gave birth."

Athrodar pulled her in towards him after he grabbed her wrist, planting a long kiss on her lips and making her feel weak in the knees. As he lengthened the kiss, he held onto her as she practically went limp in his arms, save for the top part of her that held onto him for dear life.

"And as I always say." He began, turning on the water for the bath. "You have done amazingly to hold onto that body. If the people didn't know you, they'd think you had never given birth."

Sylvanas reached for the bowl of rose petals and placed several in the bath, reaching for a bottle of lavender and pouring in just enough to not overwhelm them. "Final call before I strip down completely, do you want anyone else with us?"

"definitely not." Athrodar said, watching eagerly as Sylvanas climbed out of her leggings and grinning when he saw she didn't wear anything underneath. "You were planning for this, weren't you?"

"Oh definitely." She told him, climbing into the bath just as it was filled up, watching the water raise slightly and turning her attention to Athrodar who stripped down shortly after her and was about to climb in. "If we fall asleep in here, I will kill whomever wakes us."

"Deal." He whispered in her ear the moment he sat down behind her, having Sylvanas sit between his legs and lean back against him whilst he took hold of her hands that were resting on the side of the tub. "I don't know how you do it, but this always relaxes me."

"I should hope so. You get to be alone in a nice hot bath with your equally hot wife." Sylvanas looked over her shoulder and received a kiss on the nose for her comment.

"It makes sense." Athrodar agreed, planting several kisses along her neck. "I also want to say, that I don't want anyone else."

"I should hope not, I'm your wife." She told him.

Which made Athrodar chuckle. "No, I mean for when we go to Dalaran. Our family by our side is enough. Spending a week in here has given me a lot to think about and I don't need anyone else. Our family is everything to us and that's all that matters."

"So Elaria...?"

"Can get on with her life. I no longer believe we will speak to each other until she gets her revenge. And even then, she might hold a grudge against me for a long time after." Athrodar removed his hands from Sylvanas', wrapping them around her waist and holding into her as they both sunk down a little whilst the bath water done its magic.

"This is the best." She whispered, closing her eyes as the whole thing relaxed her so much that she began to get tired. "I am going to sleep, I just can't help it."

Athrodar chuckled and kissed her on her ear. "Me too." He whispered, closing his eyes and feeling her turn ninety degrees so she could press her ear against his chest. "Time to sleep for hours."

"Agreed."

* * *

"So how are things with you and Anduin?"

Tanadia's eyes widened at the question, looking over to her mother who was too busy distracting herself with Cedani to have heard them. "Wh-Why do you ask?"

"Because its been over a week since we discussed it and I want to know how you're doing." She smirked at her sister, having Alleria sit on her lap and mind her own business whilst her two older sisters talked. "Two young, adorable priests who are very shy apparently."

"I... I would rather not answer that." Tanadia looked over to her mother who remained distracted by Cedani. "She could overhear us at any moment."

"Relax." Victoria told her, looking over to Cedani and Thalina. "Our baby sister has a way with people. She doesn't talk, sure. But she distracts them from everything else going on in the world."

Tanadia looked back to Victoria when she knew she was right, but also hating that her older sister was waiting for an update on her relationship with Anduin. "He's shy, okay? Very shy and it's starting to bug me. We've been dating for over a month and he hasn't even tried to kiss me. Not a peck on the cheek, a light kiss on the lips. Nothing."

Victoria chuckled and nuzzled her cheek against Alleria's head who had remained seated on her lap. "Human men are always so scared to make the first move. Now, orc men? Wow... They will do whatever comes into their heads. I heard that's the same with night elf men too... Dwarves will get you both drunk and Trolls... I heard some strange things about them."

"What does this have to do with me?" Tanadia asked, tilting her head at her sister.

"Just that he might have to be pushed into acting." Victoria shrugged her shoulders. "Who knows, he might open up then. Our father is nothing like this, but he is also dirty minded, so that might play a huge factor in why he's so confident with my mother..."

"S-so what do you advise I do?" Tanadia asked, a little nervous on what her sister might say. She loved her deeply, but she was also a little hesitant when it came to her advice as it normally didn't have the same outcome as she had planned.

"When you're next alone, if you feel like you want things to move forward and they aren't, kiss him on the cheek." Victoria smiled at her sister's widened eyes. "It's a little gesture, nothing too grand that will make you feel uncomfortable."

"So just kiss him on the cheek?" Tanadia now asked, tilting her head at her sister who had turned her attention to their younger sister, Alleria. "Simple as that?"

"Simple as that." Victoria said, kissing her younger sister on the top of her head who had yet to move from her lap. "Now if you'll excuse me, I am going to spend some time with this little one before we all have to leave."

Tanadia watched Victoria stand up and take hold of Alleria's hand once she was placed back on her feet, smiling when she heard her younger sister ask what they were doing and how she was feeling. "I suppose I just have to try out her advise. The worst that could happen is he breaks up with me and I embarrass myself..." She muttered to herself, letting out a small laugh and making her way to her mother who had remained distracted by Cedani. "Brilliant, looking forward to it..."

* * *

Three hours had passed since they had drifted off to sleep and Athrodar began to slowly wake up when the sun bounced off the mirror in front of them, landing directly in his eyes. "We should have closed the curtains." He muttered, noticing the water was still hot and remembering the bath was magically enhanced so the water would never lose temperature. "Not that it has bothered you." He whispered when he glanced down and saw his wife was still asleep in front of him, though she was laying on her side so her ear was pressed to his chest, something that was basically a ritual for her if she wanted to sleep, keeping her ear pressed to his chest to hear his heart.

He stroked her hair and tried moving to get the sun out of his eyes, but the second he did, Sylvanas began to moan in her sleep at the disturbance, gripping onto him a little tighter and stopping him from moving. "Okay, I'll suffer." He whispered in her ear, moving his arms around his wife and feeling her nod against his chest, making his laugh lightly. "Thanks..."

"Mmmm... You know the rules." Sylvanas muttered, sounding just as tired as she felt. "We're married... So you have to suffer so I can be comfortable."

"I should have read the fine print." Athrodar commented, getting a slap on his chest as her response.

"Don't pretend you don't like taking care of me." She whispered, planting a small kiss on his right pec.

"I love every second of it. At home or on the battlefield, we look out for each other." Athrodar closed his eyes and slipped down a little in the bath, trying to get comfortable despite the sun glaring in his eyes. "Especially at home. We can't be away from each other."

"That's true, but only because I spent so long trying to get you into my bed, that I now don't want to be away from you."

Athrodar chuckled as Sylvanas kissed his neck, cheek and then lips. "Also because we work so well together. A well oiled machine some might say."

Moving around so she was sitting on his lap and facing him, Sylvanas moved her arms around his neck and gazed into his eyes. "Undoubtably." She purred, cuddling up to him as she pressed her cheek against his in a hug. "We will be put to the test once we get to the Broken Isles, but I think we both know we will be fine."

"We also have to look out for our children." Athrodar told her, moving his arms around her and rubbing her back as she remained held against him. "Victoria and Tanadia spent time together whilst we were looking for them and we have fought beside Victoria in the past. Maybe we will all be okay."

"Oh we will." Sylvanas cooed, kissing Athrodar on the cheek again. "Thalina will be with us, my sister and Rhonin. Arator will also be with us, my nephew who I have yet to see..." She pulled back and looked into Athrodar's eyes who was a little shocked and surprised their nephew was going to be fighting with them. "He has been in Outland for the past couple of decades, looking for his parents. My sister."

"We will find her before this war is ended." Athrodar told her, pressing his head against Sylvanas' "She is still alive, along with Turalyon. I believe they are out there and are trying their hardest to come home."

Sylvanas smiled and closed her eyes. "I believe that too."

Athrodar looked towards the mirror on the opposite side of the room the moment Sylvanas nuzzled her head into his neck, keeping her arms around him as she closed her eyes and became consumed by the closeness they were sharing. As he looked into the mirror, he saw an imagine that warmed his heart. It was the pair of them in the bath together, something he already knew, but he had rarely seen the two of them from a different perspective. They had rarely had pictures taken together whilst they were in Windrunner Village, not liking to have that sort of attention whilst they were focusing on their family life. But seeing himself in the reflection and the love of his life in his arms had filled him with a warmth and confidence of the future that he hadn't really had before.

As he continued to look into the mirror, he smiled at the small smile on his wife's face when he saw it, stroking her hair and watching the smile grow some more. "I love this." He whispered, hearing her let out a small sigh of pleasure as he continued to stroke her hair. "I don't really get to see this from someone elses perspective, so having this mirror opposite us is really handy."

Sylvanas opened her eyes and turned her head to look at the mirror, smiling a little wider when she too saw them together and realising she had also not really seen them together like this from a different perspective. "I never really looked into this mirror whilst we were both in here. I have to say, I like the way we look together. Almost like we were meant to be together."

"Well, we are both elves. Minus the eye colour and you being a very beautiful woman, everything else is mostly similar. Especially the hair."

"And yet, we're not related in any way." She told him, narrowing her eyes at his raised eyebrow. "Don't even think about it. If we were related, this would never have happened, I can tell you that."

"No, you're right." Athrodar kissed the top of her head, looking at her in the mirror and smiling when she smiled at him. "We should get out soon."

"Just five more minutes." She whispered, leaning back against him as they both looked at each other in the mirror. "I want to admire the reflection of us a little longer." She muttered, interlocking their fingers and kissing the top of his hand. "It's not every day I get to see us like this."

Athrodar chuckled and nodded his head. "Okay, we will stay a little longer."


	47. Chapter 47

**Back To Dalaran**

"Sylvie."

Sylvanas smiled and hugged her sister. "Hello, Little Moon." She kissed Vereesa on the cheek. "I hope you're ready for what our family has to offer."

Vereesa laughed and nodded her head. "I do and don't worry about your daughters, I can give you the women who looked after my twins whenever Rhonin and I weren't here."

"That would be fantastic, thank you. Maybe a trainer to help Alleria with a bow. Now that her brother is gone, she wants to learn to use a bow to be just like him." Sylvanas looked back to the rest of her family on the other side of the great hall they all stood in, talking to Rhonin and his twin sons. "She misses him, seeing as they were close before he left for the Farstrider Academy."

Vereesa smiled but it had traces of sadness when she saw a distinctive look on her sister's face. "You're missing him already, aren't you?"

"He was my little ranger." Sylvanas said, smiling at her sister. "I could always rely on my son for cuddles because he loved them as much as I."

"Now you have to rely on your husband for them." Vereesa said, getting a nod in return. "Could be worse, you could hate him instead of loving him as much as you do."

Sylvanas found Athrodar in the crowd of family members and smiled when she saw him holding Cedani in his arms, swaying back and forth as well as bouncing a little to keep her asleep. "That's true. I can't imagine not loving him, especially when he does that, cares for our children as much as I and holds me whilst we sleep." She looked back to her sister who had a huge smile on her face after listening to her sister talk about her life, something she never got when they were still in Quel'Thalas before the third war. "I suppose I will miss my son, but if he's doing what he loves in a safe area, away from the Legion, I am happy."

Vereesa took hold of her sister's hand. "It's so good to see you this happy, sister. It seems like a lifetime ago since I saw you as the Banshee Queen that those memories don't come up anymore when I think about you." She stepped forward and hugged her sister, only it wasn't a friendly hug, it was one of pure love for her older sister. "I just see your smile, surrounded by your family whenever my mind takes me to you, Lady Moon."

Sylvanas hugged her little sister tightly. "Little Moon..." She muttered, closing her eyes as they both melted into their hug. "I wished those years never happened, but that I loved and married Athrodar when we were both still alive. We could have had so many happy years together."

"I know." Vereesa whispered to her. "But you're happily married to him now, have four beautiful children and the love of many towards you. This is probably the best life you could have."

"Almost the best." Sylvanas corrected. "We just need Lady Sun and we have our family back. Then it will be the best life I could have."

"We both know we will get her back." Vereesa told her, looking over to their family and smiling when they started to walk over to them. "Come on, let's start planning our strategy for when we get onto the Broken Isles."

* * *

"We have four thousand soldiers, five hundred rangers and five hundred mages." Victoria shifted a little, feeling uncomfortable at hearing Cyndia tell them their numbers.

Rhonin placed a hand on the young Queen's shoulder. "Don't worry, that is a hell of a lot more than we have. Minus the mages where we have double that, but the four thousand soldiers will play a big part in our campaign." He smiled at his niece who let out a long exhale, relieved their reinforcements were good enough for her aunt and uncle. "And the rangers will play a big part, since Vereesa only has fifty."

"I'm glad we can be of use." Victoria said, straightening her back as she grew more confident at the meeting table. "I was worried we wouldn't be bringing enough rangers or mages."

"Like my Rhonin said, it's more than enough." Vereesa told her niece, smiling at her and placing a hand over her hand, squeezing it to reassure her. "We'll do more than I originally thought we would with those numbers."

"And what exactly is it that we are doing?" Athrodar asked, leaning back in his chair and looking over to his brother-in-law. "I'm sure you've come up with a plan."

"Khadgar has, actually." Rhonin replied, standing up and casting an illusion that appeared in the middle of the table. "We are searching for artifacts of power that can change the tide of this war. They're called the pillars of creation and we have only one of them at the moment. The Tear of Elune was gathered for us by Tyrande before she went into the Emerald Nightmare." In the middle of the table appeared an image of the artifact, Rhonin waving his hand to the left and making a second appear. "The one we are going for next is the Tidestone of Golganneth, located in Azsuna and it's surrounded by some of Queen Azhara's most powerful servants."

Athrodar sighed and lowered his head. "So we are going to have to fight the Naga? Brilliant..."

"Unfortunately, yes. We all know how ruthless they can be and their numbers are huge. But if we work together, come up with a good plan, we can overwhelm them before they overwhelm us and take the pillar of creation for ourselves." Rhonin looked around the table, mostly at Sylvanas and Athrodar just to get their most experienced leaders opinions on the bare bones plan.

"If they are protecting it, we can use the Aldur'thar tactic." Sylvanas said, looking only at Athrodar and getting a smile when he began to agree to it.

"Have a group sneak into their back lines and disrupt them? Or they try to take the pillar of creation from under them and we fall back to Dalaran with, hopefully, minimal losses and the key objective in our hands." Athrodar looked at Rhonin who slowly nodded at the forming of a real plan. "Thoughts?"

"Who is going to be a part of that group?" The Archmage asked, having a rough idea who it would be but needing confirmation on the matter.

"We will do it." Sylvanas said, taking hold of Athrodar's hand. "Victoria, Tanadia and Thalina also." She looked at the three women, getting a nod from Victoria and Tanadia but having a look of uncertainty from Thalina. "Thal?"

"Can't I be in charge of the mage unit?" She asked them, knowing full well Thal'ena would be in charge of the Stormwind Mages but still asking just in case they would change their minds. "I don't trust myself in a stealth group. I would be better leading our mages."

Sylvanas and Athrodar looked over to Victoria who then looked over to Thalina, turning her attention to Thal'ena shortly after. "Do you think you can help us if you join our group in taking the Tidestone?"

Thal'ena shrugged her shoulders. "I can't see why not. It shouldn't be too hard, since I spent a few years learning how to get in and out of places without being spotted." She glanced over to Athrodar who raised an eyebrow at her statement. "Okay, sure I wasn't as good as you but I didn't always get caught."

"Great..." Sylvanas muttered. "This fills me with so much confidence."

"She'll be better than me." Thalina told them. "I can lead the mages, trust me. I don't know anything about being a ranger, or a scout or anything like that."

"It's settled then." Rhonin began, standing up and placing his hands behind his back. "Athrodar, Sylvanas, Victoria, Thal'ena and Tanadia are all going to attack the Naga from within, disrupting their back lines and hopefully getting the Tidestone for us."

"That's the quick run down of what will happen, yes." Sylvanas said, looking towards her husband who nodded his head to the quick summing up of their plan. "We will go over it more once this meeting is over and then inform you of what to expect."

"Fantastic." Rhonin walked around the table and looked out the nearby window. "I think this meeting is over for now. All of those who aren't in your group, I advise you stay so we can go over what we are doing once we get to our destination." He looked over to his sister-in-law and watched her stand up from her chair. "Come to me once you have a plan, okay? I will then call a meeting if it's good enough."

"It will be." Sylvanas told him, smirking. "Trust me, we will come up with a plan before tomorrow and it will be perfect."

"No pressure then." Athrodar said, being lightly pushed out the room by his wife. "Good luck with the rest of the meeting, I suppose it will be easier for you to come up with a viable plan."

"Just don't get distracted." Thalina told him, smiling at Athrodar who rolled his eyes. "I'm just saying, you two can't work together unless it involves a fight."

"I'll make sure he doesn't get distracted." Sylvanas told the Magister, pushing Athrodar out the room and taking hold of Victoria's hand. "We both will."

"And me." Hroki said, having remained quiet for the entire meeting. "You saved my life and I have pledged myself into your services, I would like to join your group in taking the Tidestone."

"It's an extra hand." Athrodar said, nodding at the Tauren who stood at the back of their group. "Plus I reckon you can hold your own, so another front line fighter to protect my daughter whilst she heals us will be perfect."

"I would love to have you along!" Tanadia exclaimed, excited to have the Tauren with them. "It wouldn't be the same without a good family friend with us!"

Sylvanas chuckled and placed a hand on Hroki's arm. "Looks like you're coming with us." She looked over to her sister who had a smile on her face. "I'll come back here once we have a good, solid plan."

Vereesa bowed her head slightly. "Take your time. We don't want to rush into this."

* * *

"This place is nothing like I remember it." Athrodar said, looking out at Dalaran City from the balcony he stood on. "It used to be colder and a lot more... Northrend."

"That's what happens when a new threat appears." Sylvanas told him, hugging him from behind. "The scenery changes in Dalaran."

"What was it like?" Hroki asked, sitting on a nearby chair on the same balcony, the three of them all looking out at the city with several drinks after a long day of planning. "Back when we were fighting the Lich King? I never visited this place, I was defending Horde caravans throughout the campaign."

"It was busy." Athrodar told him, taking hold of Sylvanas' hand and sitting down on the other chair. "Everyone was running back and forth, trying to get their day to day lives underway whilst also helping in the campaign in whatever way they could." He pulled Sylvanas onto his lap, moving an arm around her whilst she pressed her ear on his chest, looking over to Hroki.

"How true are the stories of you taking on the Lich King on your own and almost defeating him?" Hroki now asked, taking a big gulp of his ale.

"All true." Sylvanas said, smiling as she recalled many of the over fantasised stories of what happened on that day.

"_Some _are true." Athrodar corrected, stroking Sylvanas' hair and knowing without even looking that she had closed her eyes at his touch. "I did take on Arthas on my own, but he beat me down before I could even land a blow." He kissed the top of Sylvanas' head and looked over to the Tauren. "He was holding back his true power that day, I know it. He could have just snapped his fingers and we'd all be dead and raised as his minions. If Tirion didn't break Frostmourne, he could have done just that."

"I'm glad he did shatter the blade. Or you would have never been a part of my Forsaken." Sylvanas kissed him lightly on the lips, pressing her ear back to his chest shortly after. "And then we'd never have been married, alive or have four beautiful children."

"It still amazes me you're both alive, and your daughter and all the rangers who volunteered to be brought back. I remember seeing you all come back from Stormwind alive after departing the Horde camp as undead elves." Hroki smiled at them both. "I started to fully believe the Earth Mother was on our side after that."

Sylvanas crossed one leg over the other, staying sat on Athrodar's lap whilst she had an arm around his neck and another holding onto her wine glass. "After that day, I have felt lighter than I ever did." She told them both, which was news to Athrodar who raised an eyebrow at her.

"Really? In what way?"

She shrugged her shoulders, pushing a hand through Athrodar's hair whilst she took a sip of wine. "I don't know, but I feel as if a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders once we were brought back to life. It's remained ever since and I love it, I feel warm just thinking about that day."

Athrodar smiled and kissed her temple. "Maybe you've been blessed by the light and have been chosen as its Champion."

Sylvanas snorted. "Please... After all the bad things I did as the Banshee Queen, I can't see that happening."

"Not everything was bad." Victoria said, walking onto the balcony with Thal'ena who was keeping her company, both as a friend and as someone who was looking to have some fun tonight. "You showed me more love than anyone else had before and you allowed Thal'ena into your Forsaken to make me happy." Victoria looked over to the Magister who had her own bottle of wine in one hand and keeping hold of her Queen's hand in her other. "Right?"

"Yes." The Magister said, smiling at her Queen. "I was given a home, something I had been looking for since Arthas' fall."

"Okay, so maybe not everything I did was bad." Sylvanas said, watching Thal'ena conjure two chairs for both her and Victoria to sit on. "But before you all came into my life," she placed a hand on Athrodar's cheek and smiled at him, "especially this one, I have been a lot _nicer_ to people as soon as this one fully committed himself to me."

"Committed? More like fell in love and then chained myself to your ankle." Athrodar kissed her on the temple, squeezing her lightly when she leaned into him and resting his head against hers. "But yes, I have been told you were a lot happier when I entered your life completely."

"Only because you knew what to do and say to keep me calm and grounded." Sylvanas whispered to him, planting a kiss on his cheek when she turned her head to face him, smiling brightly when he looked into her eyes. "It sounds cheesy, but you've made me the best version of myself."

Thal'ena choked on her wine, letting out a few coughs to clear her throat. "Sorry..." She struggled to say, still having some of her drink in the middle of her throat. "That was very cheesy." She said, placing down her glass.

Victoria nodded in agreement when her mother looked at her, yawning and closing her eyes before resting her head on her Magister's shoulder. "It really was." She told her mother.

"And there's the sixth one." Hroki said, changing subject when Tanadia stepped out onto the balcony, rubbing her arm and smiling a little when everyone looked over to her, looking over her shoulder when Anduin walked out in the same way though he was a lot more worried than shy. "And she has a guest."

Sylvanas and Victoria both began to smile at the bold move Tanadia was making by bringing Anduin to her family and, what they were guessing, was to tell her father and everyone else about their relationship. Of course, the Priestess thought only her sister knew, not knowing herself that Sylvanas caught them sitting and resting on each other in the Cathedral.

"Papa..." Tanadia said quietly, looking over to Anduin who stood beside her and taking hold of his hand, looking back to her father who began to frown at the action. "I have to tell you something. I have to tell you all something."

"Uh oh." Thal'ena whispered, picking up her wine glass and bowing her head to the priestess. "I am not needed here."

Athrodar watched Hroki stand up and leave too, smiling at the priestess before leaving and bowing his head to the two of them. Shortly after that, Sylvanas got off Athrodar's lap and stepped away from him whilst Victoria remained silent, backing away slowly from her father too who had yet to say something. "Papa... Anduin and I have been dating for a few months now. I didn't want to tell you at first because I didn't know how to, but after I spoke to Vic, I grew in confidence and knew I had to tell you as soon as I could muster up the courage."

Victoria sighed and slumped her shoulders, shaking her head at her sister. "Really? Did you have to drop me in it?"

Sylvanas smiled at Tanadia's apologetic look but quickly caught onto the fact Athrodar had remained silent, staring at the two of them and not moving an inch whilst both Anduin and Tanadia continued to hold hands.

"Sir..." Anduin began, standing up straight and looking Athrodar in the eyes, though he quickly began to back down when Athrodar didn't respond.

"I wouldn't." Sylvanas told him, placing a hand on Athrodar's arm when she stepped towards him. "Let him work things out before you say anything."

"Can everyone leave?" Athrodar asked, looking over to Anduin and pointing at him. "Not you."

"Are you sure about this?" Sylvanas asked, placing both her hands on his shoulders. "He's still a kid, honey."

"I'm certain." He told her, looking over his shoulder and watching her give him a small smile and a peck on the lips before leaving the balcony, taking hold of Tanadia's hands and pulling her away from the balcony.

"A-are you going to kill me?" Anduin asked, opening and closing his hands and occasionally placing his hands on his legs as his nerves were getting the better of him.

"Maybe. But first, I think you have to answer a few questions." Athrodar made him sit down on a nearby chair, narrowing his eyes at the young human and placing his hands behind his back. "How long have you two been together, have you done anything with her and if you answer yes or no, will determine my final question."

"A month before the Legion invaded, sir." Anduin said, keeping his eyes off Athrodar who narrowed his eyes a little more at the lack of eye contact with his answer. "A-and nothing, sir."

"Why not?" Athrodar asked, now wanting to tease the poor boy more than anything. "Do you think she's not beautiful?"

"I... I never said that!" Anduin cried, looking at Athrodar for a second before looking away again when he couldn't hold eye contact. "She is very beautiful, sir. I am lucky she even talks to me let alone wants to be my girlfriend." Anduin looked towards the doors to the balcony, smiling at Tanadia who was waiting in the room with Sylvanas and Victoria. "I haven't done anything because I am scared with how she will react."

Athrodar couldn't help but smile, forgetting how innocent the young could be compared to the experience of both him and Sylvanas. "I see..." Athrodar stood directly in front of Anduin, waiting for the human to look up at him and speaking in a hushed, serious tone once he did. "If you ever hurt her, make her cry or do anything that doesn't sit well with me, I will hunt you down and make an example of you. You got that?"

Anduin nodded his head profusely, not wanting to be on the wrong side of the elf he had to win favor with. "I won't hurt her, sir. I promise."

"Good." Athrodar looked over to Sylvanas and gave her slight nod, watching his wife nod back and let go of Tanadia who she was holding onto to keep her put, stepping back once Tanadia ran out onto the balcony and hugged Anduin. "Come with me." He said once Sylvanas stood beside him, taking hold of her hand and hearing her giggle when she had already caught on to what he wanted to do.

"That really has worked you up, hasn't it?" Sylvanas whispered once they stopped in the middle of the corridor, planting a long, hard kiss on his lips. "Showing dominance to the former Prince of Stormwind, threatening to kill him if he hurts your daughter - yes I figured that's what you told him - and just being the scariest elf you can be to the poor boy."

Athrodar grinned and pressed his head against Sylvanas', pinning her to the wall and hungrily kissing her when she moved her arms around him. "Damn right it has. We took his home from him, and now he wants to be a part of our family just to get it back? I want to make the most of this feeling."

Sylvanas bit her bottom lip and stared into his eyes, placing her hands on his face and kissing him once more. "I love when you're in this mood. A mood where you show why you were Arthas' second and the King I fell in love with." She pressed her head against his and closed her eyes just to feel close to him. "Someone our enemies would be scared to face."

Athrodar moved his hands down her body and picked her up when they were placed on her thighs, looking her in the eyes once she was picked up and wrapped her legs around him. "I love you." He whispered, both of them giving each other a long kiss. "I sort of miss being so powerful that our enemies feared me. But being alive does make up for what we did lose."

"Oh definitely." She whispered, reaching one hand behind her and going for the door handle once they stood outside their room. "Now throw me on that bed and destroy me."

Athrodar chuckled and walked in the room. "Fun choice of words."


	48. Chapter 48

**Nephew**

Waking up beside his wife, Athrodar moved his arms around her whilst she was leaning back on him, both of them laying on their side and facing their daughter. Alleria had come into their room whilst they were sleeping, waking them up after she had a bad dream and normally going to her brother for comfort, but he wasn't there so she went to her parent's room instead.

"She seems to have slept peacefully now that she's here." Athrodar whispered, kissing Sylvanas on the cheek who had been staring at their daughter for the past hour, stroking her hair lightly the entire time she had been awake. "I think she misses her brother."

"She does." Sylvanas whispered, smiling at the clear love her daughter felt for her brother. "They done everything together, or at least tried to. He looked after her when they were together and now he's not here, she only has her younger sister Cedani and they can't exactly have a conversation just yet." She looked over her shoulder and smiled at Athrodar who kissed her shortly after. "We're leaving today to find a place to sneak into the Naga ranks."

"Yes we are." Athrodar began to plant several kisses on her cheek, neck and shoulder, closing his eyes and pressing his head to her back. "Tell me we'll be okay."

Sylvanas frowned and turned her head to look at her husband, placing a hand on his cheek when she saw worry in his eyes. "We're going to be okay, you don't have to worry." She planted a soft kiss on his lips and smiled when he looked at her. "Stay with me and we'll be okay. You know we work so well together."

"I know we do." Athrodar closed his eyes and was pulled into Sylvanas' embrace as she stroked his hair whilst his head was pressed to her chest. "This is just an enemy that has taken so much from us already... I don't want to lose anyone else."

"We've faced similar enemies in the past." Sylvanas told him softly, stroking his hair now. "The Lich King -"

"Where I died twice and almost a third time the day he was killed." Athrodar reminded her, making Sylvanas close her eyes and let out a sigh as she knew he was right.

"Our war with the Alliance then, we didn't come close to dying." Sylvanas kissed the top of his head. "And you were with me the entire time. Those times you died to the Lich King, we weren't together." She kissed the top of his head again, moving her lips to his ear to whisper to him. "Stick with me and we will be fine."

"Papa?" A voice called out from behind the closed door to their bedroom. "Can we talk?"

Sylvanas smiled and kissed Athrodar lightly on the lips. "Go talk to her. I'll stay here with our daughter whilst you're dealing with Tana."

Athrodar climbed out of bed and made his way to the door, opening it and looking at his daughter who looked a little nervous. "What's wrong?" He asked, closing the door behind him.

Tanadia stepped forward and hugged her father tightly, burying her head in his chest. "Don't kill Anduin. He won't hurt me, papa. Just don't hurt him."

Athrodar hugged his daughter and kissed the top of her head. "Oh, honey... I won't hurt him, you don't have to worry. I was just trying to scare him, all fathers do that to their daughter's boyfriends." He cupped her face in his hands and smiled at her innocence. "I promise I won't hurt him... Unless he does hurt you."

"He won't." Tanadia told him.

"Okay." Athrodar whispered, pulling her back in for another hug. "I'm still going to scare him though. Just because it's my job as your father."

The priestess let out a small sigh. "Fine... As long as you don't hurt him, you can scare him."

Athrodar chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "Thank you."

* * *

Victoria rubbed her eyes and stretched her arms out after waking up, glancing to her right and laying her eyes on Thal'ena who slept beside her Queen after spending the night with her. She lifted up the bed sheet just to check what was nagging her in the back of her mind, rolling her eyes when she saw the Magister was completely naked and figuring they done more than just sleep in the same bed. "Fantastic..." She muttered, climbing out of the bed and holding onto her head when a massive headache began to form, stumbling forward a couple paces and holding herself up against the wall as she felt her head pulsing with pain.

Picking up her ranger leggings and tunic, she looked back to her bed when the sound of movement caught her attention, locking eyes with Thal'ena who rolled onto her back and let out a small moan in her sleep, making the Queen smile a little when she heard the cute sound. "If you weren't such a horny mage, I may have given you a chance." She muttered, putting on her leggings first. "But you're just my closest friend who I have sex with when I'm flat out drunk, apparently."

Putting on her tunic and picking up her boots, Victoria left her bedroom and walked down the corridor barefoot, making her way to the dining room and walking into her cousin. "Arator?" She asked, watching the elf turn around and smile at her. "Titans, hello!" She hugged him whilst still holding onto her boots with one hand, getting up onto her tiptoes just to move her arms around his neck and pull him in for a hug. "I haven't seen you since you visited Stormwind a couple years ago, how have you been?"

Arator laughed lightly and pulled Victoria off him. "I've been good, Vic. It's so good to see you and I'm sorry about your loss." He saw her smile sadden, and gave her a warmer one to try and wipe it away. "I am actually here to find your parents. I haven't seen them in person, only by the occasional picture in a book or by word of mouth. So I am looking forward to seeing them both."

Victoria smiled and pointed towards their bedroom. "They're in there. But I warn you now, as someone who has been their daughter for a decade, expect to walk in on them doing inappropriate stuff."

Arator bowed his head to his cousin. "I'll keep that in mind, thank you."

Victoria waited until Arator knocked on the door and was told to come in, smiling when she didn't hear anything rude and continuing her walk to the dining room, opening the door and sitting down on a chair just as Vereesa sat down next to her with her breakfast. "Morning." She said to her niece with a smile. "I see you've become comfortable with your surroundings after two days."

"What do you mean?" Victoria asked, watching her aunt nod towards her boots that were placed beside her chair. "Oh... Yeah, I like to walk barefoot sometimes. I feel like I connect better with my surroundings if I can feel the floor with my feet and not with my boots."

"I get that. I used to do the same in the forests back home. Of course I was mostly waiting for either Sylvanas or Alleria to come home or hoping I would find them on my walks through the forest." She smiled at those memories. "Of course I was only little back then, or my company were on their break period, so I was mostly alone in our house."

Victoria smiled at the short story, standing up to go get herself some food. "After this is all over, I do want that for my family. To be able to just walk the forests of Quel'Thalas barefoot, waiting for someone to come home." She looked over to Giramar and Galadin, both of who were too busy eating their breakfast to have acknowledged her. "I wish you and your family were there with us too."

Vereesa continued to smile at her niece who was gathering food in her bowl from the table of food laid out by several mages. "I have been thinking about it a lot recently. With the loss of your grandmother and the attack on Windrunner Village, I did have my doubts about coming back home, but just the thought of returning home with my sister to our family village just outweighs what little risk there initially was."

Rhonin walked into the room just as Vereesa had finished speaking, overhearing the last few words of her sentence. "Are we talking about moving to Windrunner Village again, my love?"

"I am, dear." Vereesa said, looking up at Rhonin who stood over her and kissing him lightly. "Once the Legion have been dealt with, I can't see why not. You can still be the Archmage of Dalaran, just from our home in Windrunner Village and you can visit this city whenever needed."

Rhonin looked over to Victoria who was grinning at him, sighing and smiling at his wife who was waiting for him to respond. "Okay. When we defeat the Legion and when Windrunner Village is rebuilt, we can move there to live with your sister."

Vereesa squealed and stood up from her chair, running to her husband and jumping at him before giving him a big kiss. "Thank you! I will work as hard as I can now to defeat the Legion. Just so we can go home quicker." She smiled at her husband before glancing over to Victoria who was laughing lightly into her cup of coffee. "Where are your parents?"

"Talking with their nephew." She told them, glancing over to Giramar and Galadin. "And not those two."

"Oh... Oh!" Vereesa turned to face her niece. "They're meeting him for the first time, right?"

"They are, yes. I don't know how it's going to go, however." Victoria saw Vereesa smile, tilting her head a little. "Though by that look, I can see it will be good?"

"He looks a lot like Alleria, so Sylvanas will probably love him the second she lays eyes on him." Vereesa shrugged her shoulders. "Time will tell though."

* * *

"You look so much like your mother." Sylvanas whispered, inspecting Arator's hair and smiling brightly when she looked him in the eyes. "Though the fact you're a paladin is more of your father's side, so not completely like her."

"And the glaring obvious fact that he's a guy." Athrodar said, sitting on the complete opposite side of the room from them both, grinning when Arator had a look of surprise when Sylvanas hugged him. "Trust me, you're going to get a lot of this. She misses your mother so much."

"I can see that." Arator said, moving his arms around his aunt. "I never really got to know her, so I am looking forward to the day my parents come back."

"So am I." Sylvanas said, pulling back and looking at her nephew from head to toe, just to take in all the similarities between him and Alleria. "We have to get ready to leave soon. I'm sorry we can't spend more time together, I would love to hear the many stories you surely have of the Outland."

"Actually... There was another reason I came here." Arator took a knee in front of his aunt, making Athrodar raise an eyebrow at the other side of the room. "I want to join you all in taking the Pillars of Creation. I want to help take the Tidestone for Khadgar and Uncle Rhonin."

Sylvanas smiled and placed a hand on his head. "You don't have to kneel. You could have just asked, I would have accepted you. We could use another front line fighter with Hroki."

Arator stood up and hugged his aunt this time, catching her off guard. "Thank you. I promise I won't let you down." He looked over to Athrodar who had a grin on his face. "Both of you."

"I know you won't." Athrodar said, making his way over to them and shaking his nephew's hand. "Hroki will have your back, I trust him."

"I haven't seen him fight, but so do I." Sylvanas took hold of Arator's hand and began to walk towards the door. "Honey, wake up our daughter. We're going to go get breakfast."

Athrodar shook his head whilst Sylvanas dragged Arator out of the room and towards the dining room. "If he wasn't related to her, she would be all over him..." He muttered, picking up his daughter Alleria who rubbed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck whilst he carried her out the room. "Come on, let's go get some food." He whispered to her, kissing her on the cheek and picking up the cot containing Cedani with his other hand before leaving the room. Struggling, but managing at the same time.

Arriving in the dining room, Athrodar placed Alleria down on the chair next to Victoria as Thal'ena had remained asleep, though she didn't mind and loved the opportunity to have her sister beside her. He then placed the cot with Cedani down on the chair next to him as he sat beside Sylvanas, though her attention was fixed on Arator who sat on the other side of her. "Do you remember your parents at all?" She asked just as Athrodar sat down.

"I don't, no. The earliest memory I have is having Khadgar look after me for several years, until I was old enough to leave Shattrath and travel to Honor Hold. I was hoping to find my parents there, but I should have listened to the stories." Arator shrugged his shoulders and looked over to Vereesa who sat opposite him. "Then after a few years, I made my way to Dalaran and Vereesa took me in as her own." He smiled at her when she smiled at him. "I had finally had a family member to talk to."

"And now you've got more." Sylvanas said, placing a hand over the top of his. "And a home at Windrunner Village. If ever you wish to come back with us, once this is all over, you can."

Arator smiled and bowed his head slightly to Sylvanas. "Thank you. I will think about it, but my main priority once this is over is to find my parents."

"Understandable." Athrodar said, walking passed them after picking up a bowl of food for both him and his daughter Alleria. "I know Sylvanas wants to look for her sister too, something she is helping Vereesa with every now and then."

"There are a lot of moving parts." Sylvanas said, watching her husband sit down beside their daughter and smiling when she saw Alleria smiling and giggling at her father. "However we do have a task today that we must focus on, but we can plan what to do after we get the Tidestone."

* * *

"That's a lot of Naga." Victoria said, looking back to her parents who were with her on their scouting mission. "If we were to raise the alarm or get their attention, we have to escape very quickly or somehow fight through an army."

Athrodar couldn't help but smile at the growth their daughter had made since the last time all three of them were on the field together. "Luckily we don't have to worry about them."

Both Sylvanas and Victoria followed Athrodar's gaze and found what he was looking at, four Naga Enchantress' surrounding a body of water. "That's the Tidestone, isn't it?" Sylvanas asked, looking over to Athrodar when she noticed an artifact floating in the middle of the pool of water whilst the Naga Enchantress' channeled spells onto it.

"I believe it is." Victoria answered her mother. "We can probably interrupt them, but we have to be quick about it and make sure we don't put a foot wrong."

"We won't. Other than maybe your sister and Arator, everyone is seasoned enough to be stealth." Athrodar scanned the horizon ahead of them, rubbing his chin slowly. "I can't seem to find a commander amongst those with the Tidestone."

"I'm sure they're nearby." Sylvanas told him, glancing over to her husband. "And Arator can be stealth. Trust me."

"And Tanadia has proven to me she can be stealth too. She's the reason we were able to get off the Broken Shore." Victoria grinned at her father's raised eyebrow. "Surprised?"

"A little, yes. I haven't spoken to Tanadia about what happened on the Broken Shore, so that part was a mystery to me." Athrodar smiled at the thought of Tanadia saving her sister from the demons and escaping the island. "I suppose we have a good team then."

"Great." Sylvanas began to make her way down from the small hill they were standing on, luckily hidden from plain sight by some trees and bushes. "Let's go back to the others and come up with a plan."

Victoria stood beside Athrodar as they both watched Sylvanas walk away from them. "Wow, she didn't even pull you along with her, did you have a fight?"

"No." Athrodar said with a small laugh. "She is just eager to be with Arator since he looks so much like his mother." He shrugged his shoulders. "I can't blame her, whilst we were in Windrunner Village she spoke highly of her sister and at times told me how much she missed her whenever something reminded her of Alleria."

Meeting up with the rest of their group, Athrodar stood beside Victoria whilst Sylvanas had made sure to keep Arator close by, though it did seem to make him feel a little uncomfortable. "What did you find?" Hroki asked when the group formed a small circle. "Something doable, I hope?"

"We have located the Tidestone, it's surrounded by four Naga Enchantress' who seem to all be casting spells into it." Athrodar drew a quick birds-eye picture of it in the dirt below them, pointing at the Tidestone in the middle. "We haven't seen any sort of leader among them, so they're either hiding or busy."

"Let's hope busy." Tanadia said, holding onto her staff tightly that stood up beside her. "So we don't have to worry about reinforcements."

Arator nodded in agreement to her comment. "I second that. The Naga can be deadly in large groups, so if we can keep it to those four, taking them on will be the easiest part of this mission."

"See? He's an experienced fighter who knows what to do." Sylvanas hooked an arm around Arator's and looked over to Athrodar, poking her tongue out at him. "He will be fine."

"I say we pull back to camp for the night, come up with a plan on what we know so far and return to this point tomorrow to see if anything changes." Victoria looked around their group, appointing herself as leader above everyone else as nobody seemed to want to take charge. She awaited nods or at the very least, a few words that approved of her plan, getting everyone to agree to it after a few seconds. "Good. Thal'ena and I will start to come up with a plan, if you want to join us, you know where my tent is."

"We are?" Thal'ena asked, letting out a long sigh when Victoria nodded at her. "Fine... Since I have nothing better to do."

As everyone began to make their way back to camp, Athrodar took hold of Sylvanas' wrist to keep her in place whilst they rest of them continued to make their way back to the camp. "What's wrong?" She asked, looking Athrodar in the eyes.

"Nothing. I just wanted to make sure you are focused for what we are going to face soon." He pulled on her wrist, dragging her closer until they stood inches apart. "So are you?" He asked in a low voice.

"Of course I am." Sylvanas said softly, stroking Athrodar's cheek with the back of her hand. "Is this about the amount of attention I have been giving Arator?" She began to smile when Athrodar looked away a little, knowing she was right. "I sense your jealousy, my love." She placed a kissed on his cheek. "You're missing the attention I give you, instead I am giving it to Arator."

"It wouldn't hurt to talk to me instead of about me when he's around." Athrodar muttered, being pulled into a hug when Sylvanas chuckled. "You don't have to laugh."

"Oh my love." Sylvanas whispered, kissing the top of his head. "You are my greatest love, the one person in the entire world I couldn't live without." She closed her eyes as she held him against her chest, stroking his hair after pulling his hood down. "Arator is someone who reminds me of my sister. I'm sorry that I haven't left him alone since he entered our lives, but he's the closest I can get to Alleria without her being here."

Athrodar pulled back and looked down at his wife who smiled up at him. "I understand that." He stroked a thumb across her cheek now, watching her lean her head onto his hand and smiled even wider at his loving touch. "Just don't get distracted by him when he's fighting on the front lines with Hroki."

"I won't." She whispered, placing a hand on his face and pulling him down so she could place a kiss on his lips, getting up onto her tiptoes at the same time. "I know to leave him in the capable hands of Hroki, he will look after him should we get attacked by more than those four Naga."

Athrodar pressed his head against Sylvanas', moving his hands to her hips and feeling her wrap her arms around him when they stepped a little closer to each other. "We should go back to camp, maybe help our daughter with the plan?"

Sylvanas shook her head. "No... I don't want to. My husband misses me because I spent all day with my nephew." She pulled his head down once more to plant a long kiss on his lips this time. "I want to spent time with him, to show that I still love him more than anyone and remove any doubts he has."

Athrodar smiled and let out a small laugh. "I'm sure he would love that."

"Oh I know he would." Sylvanas purred, moving her hand to his, taking hold of them and dragging him slowly to the camp, walking backwards the whole time so she could keep her eyes on him. "If he's lucky, we could have some fun, though I feel like he wants to just hold me as we lay beside each other in bed."

"I think he does." Athrodar agreed, pulling Sylvanas closer and picking her up when she stood directly in front of him once more. "He also wants to carry her to their tent."

Sylvanas began to laugh now, gazing into Athrodar's eyes as he carried her to their tent. "We can stop talking in the third person now. I just wanted to make sure you were onboard with my plan."

"Anything involving just the two of us is normally a good plan." Athrodar told her.

"Good, I thought so too." She agreed.


	49. Chapter 49

**The Plan**

"Is it a good plan?"

Thal'ena moved her arms around her Queen from behind, placing a kiss on her shoulder. "Of course it is." She whispered, planting a series of kisses on her shoulder and traveling up her neck to her cheek. "We came up with it ourselves, with help from your sister, Hroki and Arator."

Victoria closed her eyes and leaned back into the Thal'ena who was looking at her Queen in the reflection of the mirror they stood in front of. "Are you using spells on me again?" She whispered, looking her Magister in the eyes when she opened her own, getting a warm smile from Thal'ena as a response. "You are, aren't you?"

"Of course I'm not." Thal'ena whispered in her ear, nibbling the bottom of it shortly after. "You seemed stressed and we always have fun together, so I tried my best to get you to calm down... by sleeping with you."

"So you're not using any spells on me?" Victoria asked, looking at the Magister in the mirror, watching her shake her head and plant a couple more kisses on her neck. "What is it we are doing then?" She now asked, turning around to look at the Magister. "Are you trying to push your way into becoming my second?"

Thal'ena was taken back by her words, looking a little hurt when they faced each other. "Vic... We are friends, close friends. I only want what is best for my one and only friend." She kissed the back of her hand when she raised it to her lips. "Us sleeping together is just to make sure your head is in the game, that you're not stressed out when we do fight the Naga."

Victoria smiled and hugged Thal'ena. "Do you want to be my second?" She whispered when the Magister wrapped her arms around her.

"I do." Thal'ena whispered back to her, pulling herself out of the hug to look at her Queen. "But not now. Not until this war is over, you have a clear mind and you're not missing Sera. Because I know that's the only reason you're asking." She smiled when Victoria looked down at her feet. "I will wait until you feel for me how you felt for Sera. I don't want to commit to a relationship when you're too distracted by sadness to treat me how you treated her."

Victoria buried her head in Thal'ena's neck. "Thank you. I do love you, but you're right. We are better off as friends until I have a clear mind to think."

"I love you too, my Lady." Thal'ena whispered, holding onto Victoria a little tighter. "I don't want to take Sera's place by your side. I just wanted to have my own, so I can wait until you're ready and if you find someone else to be your second, I will always be there for you as you're my only friend."

Victoria smiled, loving that she had such a loyal and close friend who she did love, just not as much as she loved Sera. "If I do find someone else, I will always keep you with me. Because, whether I like it or not, you are my only friend now, outside of my family. We both rely on each other to keep each other calm and happy."

"By having sex." Thal'ena told her, making the Queen chuckle.

"Yes, by having sex." She agreed.

* * *

"I know I bring this up often, but I never thought I would have children after what Arthas did to me."

Athrodar kissed behind Sylvanas' ear, having her sit between his legs as they both sat on the bed in their tent, looking at the locket in Sylvanas' hand that was opened to reveal their children. "After I found out about Tanadia, I thought the same. At the time, I thought I was just lucky Thalina got pregnant before I died, that I had a daughter who I planned to never have see me, but I knew was out there. However, I never thought I would be brought back to life and given a second chance to start a family with you."

Keeping the bed sheet over her, Sylvanas leaned back against Athrodar and just stared at the pictures of their children, feeling warmth in her heart the longer she stared at the locket. But she also felt it tighten with small pangs of regret. Regret that she had to leave her daughters behind to fight the Naga, that she had sent her son away to learn to be a ranger. "I want us to return to Dalaran as soon as possible." She whispered, closing her eyes when Athrodar kissed her on the temple. "I hate being away from them, my babies."

"To think, you were once a Ranger-General who had no time to make a family." Athrodar chuckled as he spoke, leaning over to a nearby table and picking up the necklace Alleria gave her sister, placing it around Sylvanas' neck and planting a kiss on the back of it when the necklace sat perfectly on her chest. "Now we both want to be at home with our children."

"Once this war is over, we are helping rebuild Windrunner Village, if it still needs repairs, and then living the rest of our many centuries in silence with our daughters." Sylvanas looked up at her husband from where she was sitting, having remained leaning back against him and seeing him smile. "I can see that you agree."

"As long as we have Tanadia with us and that then means Thalina, I am happy. I want my daughter to be with us, I know she wants to be there too."

Sylvanas planted a kiss under his chin, making him look down at her and placing another on his lips. "You know I love Tanadia as if she were my own." She told him, reaching for her tunic beside the bed and putting it on once she had it. "Of course she can come back to Windrunner Village and live with us. Though with her new boyfriend, who lives in Stormwind, she may not come back with us empty handed."

"Promise me you'll let me have my fun with him if she does bring him back home?" Athrodar's eyes were pleading with Sylvanas when she looked back at him, hearing her sigh and knowing he was winning whatever this was.

"Fine... As long as you don't hurt him, only torment him, then I will let you have your fun." Sylvanas smiled when she saw his face light up. "You're honestly such a child sometimes. You're actually excited about this, aren't you?"

"It's not every day you get to torment the boy that's trying to take your daughter away from you." Athrodar watched Sylvanas roll her eyes and shake her head, using that window of opportunity to launch himself at her and pinning her down on her back on the bed.

"What are you doing?" She asked with a laugh, trying to move her arms but giving up when she couldn't. "We don't have time for this, we are leaving in two hours to complete the mission our daughter has tasked for us all."

"Then stop me." Athrodar told her, grinning when he watched Sylvanas try to get out from under him for a couple of minutes, knowing she wasn't trying too hard to escape and taking this opportunity to lower himself until their noses were inches apart. "Give up?"

"It appears I might have." Sylvanas purred, flicking her eyes down to his lips and back up to his eyes before moving forward the last few inches and kissing him, having Athrodar gently collapse on top of her and rolling both of them over so she was the one laying on him, never breaking the kiss they were sharing. "Now if it stays like this, I am onboard."

Athrodar interlocked his fingers with hers, gazing longingly into her eyes as she was now laying on top of him, both of them wearing nothing but their ranger tunics as they got distracted from their initial task of getting dressed. "Then it can stay like this." He whispered, hearing Sylvanas let out a throaty chuckle before she leaned back down and continued their kiss.

Whilst they both were fighting for who would be the elf pinned under the other, Tanadia had made her way out of her tent and towards their tent, calling out for her father when she stood directly outside the tent. "Papa? Are you awake?" She called out.

Athrodar, having pinned Sylvanas on her back once more, pulled back a little and looked over to the entrance of their tent. "I am, what's wrong? Are you okay?" He asked, having Sylvanas stroke his chest whilst he waited for her answer.

"No..." The priestess muttered. "Can I come in?"

Sylvanas grinned at Athrodar when she knew he really wanted to explore her body with his lips, gently patting him on the cheek when he looked down at her. "Let her in." She whispered. "It could be important."

"Yeah, come in." Athrodar told her, sitting on the side of the bed and putting on his ranger leggings just as Tanadia walked in and stretching his arms out to her which made the young priestess run at him and bury her head in his chest as he hugged her tightly. "What's wrong?" He asked again, whispering the question softly in her ear.

"I'm scared, papa." She told him. "I don't want to lose anyone else and I am scared we will lose a friend today."

Whilst Athrodar was telling Tanadia that they had nothing to worry about, that they were all going to be okay, Sylvanas had climbed out the bed and put on her leggings too, placing on her boots and cloak, but keeping her hood down as she made her way to both of them and hugging Tanadia when Athrodar let go of her. "You will be okay, little one." Sylvanas whispered in her ear, having Tanadia hold onto her tightly. "I would never let anything happen to our family whilst i have the power to stop them." She closed her eyes and pressed her cheek to the top of Tanadia's head, melting into their hug. "I would never let anything happen to my precious daughter." She whispered.

Athrodar wanted to correct her, but stopped himself when he saw how easily Sylvanas had put his daughter at ease, watching the golden glow of her eyes soften compared to how bright they were and how scared she looked when she came into the tent. "You won't be hurt with us around. Sylvanas and I work well together and Victoria too. We may have less than our normal group with the loss of Sera, Snow, Elaria and Luna, but our strength was never in numbers." Athrodar saw Tanadia look over to him and he smiled at her warmly. "Our strength is that we will all look after each other."

"Your father's right." Sylvanas said, smiling warmly at the priestess. "We are stronger when we look after each other. Your sister as well as the two of us done so all throughout the war to take Stormwind, all looked after each other and the only casualty was when my Ranger-General made a mistake and killed her." She looked over to Athrodar who looked away when the story of Clea and Victoria came up. "But besides that hiccup, we are strong together."

Tanadia began to smile at the pair of them. "So we'll be okay?"

"If we all stick together, yes." Athrodar said, placing a gentle hand on her head. "Just look out for those we can't see, heal us if we get wounded and try your hardest not to get scared."

"I will, papa." Tanadia said, beaming up a smile to him which in turn made both Sylvanas and Athrodar smile at her.

"That's great to hear, little one." Sylvanas told her, planting a kiss on her forehead. "If you wait outside, I'll get dressed and we can meet up with your sister to go over the plan, okay?"

"Okay." Tanadia said, squeezing Sylvanas before letting go of her and leaving the tent.

"Your precious daughter?" Athrodar asked Sylvanas once they were alone, hearing her sigh and watching her roll her eyes.

"I don't know why I said that." Sylvanas told him. "I guess I do see her as my daughter but... It did just slip out."

"It's okay." Athrodar told her, picking up his cloak and boots and making his way over to her. "I'm sure she thinks of you as her mother sometimes."

"As long as she doesn't think of me as her only mother. I couldn't do that to Thal after everything that has happened since Arthas' defeat." Sylvanas threw Athrodar's cloak around him and pinned it to his shoulder guards once they were placed on. "In her eyes, I took the man she loves and I have the family she wanted with him. I don't want her to think I took her daughter from her."

"You haven't." Athrodar told her, sitting down on the edge of the bed to place on his boots and standing up once they were on, cupping Sylvanas' face in his hands and watching her close her eyes at his touch, brushing a thumb across her cheek to comfort her. "You have tried your hardest to be her friend, I have tried my hardest to get her to move on. If at the end of all of that, she still hates you and is obsessed over me, there is nothing more we can do."

Sylvanas smiled and took a couple steps forward to hug her husband, pressing her ear to his chest and listening to his heart. "I wouldn't say obsessed... You're thinking too highly of yourself there."

"Even so. I don't believe she thinks you're taking her daughter from her." Athrodar kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes as they both melted into their hug, the last one they will probably have before mission to retrieve the Tidestone. "I'll look out for my daughter today. She hasn't been in a real fight yet and I'm worried she will freeze."

"So am I." Sylvanas whispered, drowning out almost everything to listen to Athrodar's heartbeat and his words. "Do you think Arator will be okay?"

"With Hroki by his side, I think so. I have yet to see that Tauren fight, but if he's been in two wars already and is still kicking, I trust him." Athrodar pressed his cheek to the top of her head just to get that little bit closer. "I made him our personal guard for a reason. He's a veteran of Northrend and the final Horde-Alliance war."

Sylvanas gripped onto the back of his tunic tightly, trying to find as much comfort as possible in his arms before they had to leave. "Victoria and Thal'ena will also keep our little priestess safe, I know it and so do you."

"You know that means you're the only one going for the Tidestone, right?" Athrodar told her, hearing her chuckle lightly. "Maybe having us all look out for each other isn't the best going forward for this type of mission."

"It's okay." Sylvanas pulled her head back a little to look up at him, having Athrodar press his forehead to hers. "We will get it done and you know it."

* * *

"We will push in from the back." Victoria said, pointing to the group of Naga that hadn't changed in size since yesterday, though they were now casting the spell on the body of water in the middle of them instead of the Tidestone. "Then Hroki and Arator will fight the Naga who first attack, holding them off whilst we take out the casters." Victoria looked at Sylvanas and Athrodar, turning her attention to Thal'ena who stood nearby with her arms folded. "And you."

"Fine.." The Magister muttered, looking over to Tanadia who felt a little left out. "What about your sister?"

"She will keep a shield up in front of us four, using it to blast the enemy should they get near." Victoria looked over to her sister who looked slightly nervous and smiling warmly at her. "You'll do great, Tana. Trust me."

"If you say so..." Tanadia muttered, placing her hands on her legs as she had no idea what to do with them. "I don't know if it will go exactly like that, I'm not even sure I can keep a light shield up for that long."

"You're going to have to try." Victoria told her, knowing that wasn't good advice, but she needed her sister to play this role in her plan or it wouldn't work. "We will keep you safe, if that's what you're worried about. All you have to do is hold up a holy barrier to keep their projectiles from hitting us."

Tanadia still didn't look convinced, kicking her foot back and forth in the dirt. "I... I can try."

"Thank you." Victoria said softly, placing a hand on her arm and smiling at her sister. "That's all I can ask."

"Where are we attacking from?" Hroki asked, resting on the head of his hammer whilst the hilt was pressed onto the floor. "I know you said from the back, but from what I can see, it's all open."

"There's a cave." Victoria said, motioning everyone to follow her up the hill so they could see what she was talking about. "All the way back there." She pointed towards the direction of the cave, everyone just making it out in the distance. "It's a small cave, but it has a back entrance we can use to get through. I expect they have a few guards inside, so we just have to take them out quickly and quietly before coming out that entrance and taking on those four Naga Enchantress'."

Athrodar pulled on the bowstring sitting across his chest, nodding slowly at the plan. "Okay... So we get to the back entrance of that cave, fight our way through or, if we're lucky, sneak our way through. Then we launch our attack on those four Naga in the middle, taking them out and getting the Tidestone." He looked over to Victoria who was waiting for his opinion on the plan. "Sounds like we could get this done."

The Queen smiled at her father. "Good." She looked over to her Magister who was waiting for the go ahead. "Do you think you can cast a mass invisibility spell should we need it?"

"I mean... I could?" Thal'ena shrugged her shoulders. "I haven't tried it.. ever. I know of one but it might be a bit spotty."

"I maybe should have asked if you could do it before coming up with a plan that may need it." Victoria rubbed the back of her neck. "Lesson learned I guess."

"So are we ready to go?" Sylvanas asked her daughter as she was the lead on this mission.

Victoria nodded her head at her mother, smiling at her. "We're ready." She looked at the rest of her group. "Stay close and follow me, we will make our way to the back entrance."


	50. Chapter 50

**A Glimpse into the Future**

"That's a lot of Murlocs"

Victoria looked back to her Magister. "You got this?" She asked, watching Thal'ena nod and stretch her hands above her head.

"Piece of cake." She told her Queen, walking towards the group of at least twenty Murlocs, casting two flames in her hands and slowly growing a smirk on her face and incinerating the first four that ran towards her, doing the same thing with the next five when they caught onto her presence and being backed up by Victoria, Sylvanas and Athrodar as they let loose an arrow or two each into the remaining Murlocs. "It's been a while since I have been let loose with my magic." She said, looking back to Victoria once the group of Murlocs were cleared.

Both Athrodar and Sylvanas pulled down the masks covering all but their eyes, looking down at the group of murlocs they have just killed. "First hurdle out the way." Athrodar muttered, looking over to his wife who nodded her head in agreement.

"We should be safe when we get into the cave. Remaining unseen however is something else entirely." They both pulled their masks back up. It wasn't something they were told to bring, but they both knew it was a stealth mission of sorts and decided it would go with what they were wearing, both of them in full black ranger attire. Once the masks were up, they made their way towards the nearby cave with their group, all of them stopping behind a couple of rocks when they saw a huge something sitting outside the cave entrance.

"That's not good.." Tanadia whispered, looking back to her sister.

"Uhm..." Victoria rubbed her chin, not planning for a Sea Giant to be sitting in the way of the cave. "Anyone got any ideas? This wasn't here when we checked here last night."

"I have an idea." Sylvanas said, looking over to Athrodar. "But it's risky."

Athrodar pulled down his mask and frowned at his wife. "What is it?"

"We distract the big guy, just the two of us." Sylvanas told him. "We will lead him away from the entrance whilst the rest of this group run inside. We then lose him once they're all inside and double back to rejoin the rest of the group." She looked over to Victoria who wasn't so sure on that plan. "If you've got something better, hun. Let me know."

The Queen sighed and narrowed her eyes at her parents, shaking her head shortly after. "I don't know why I'm doing this, but fine. Just don't get caught by him or any of the Naga, or our plan might just backfire."

"We'll be fine." Sylvanas told her, nodding towards the entrance of the cave. "Get in position, you'll know when to move."

Athrodar watched their group move closer to the cave entrance, pulling up his mask and locking eyes with Sylvanas when she looked over to him. "Do we really have this?" He asked, having Sylvanas place a hand on his cheek.

"Of course we do." She told him softly, pressing her head against his for a few seconds of silence before pulling away. "I'll get its attention first, then you take it off me when he gets close, okay?"

"Okay." Athrodar said, taking the bow off his back and nocking an arrow in place, though he didn't pull it back. "When you're ready."

Victoria watched the Sea Giant stand up from where he was sitting the moment an arrow hit him in the face, looking angered by the action and running towards Athrodar and Sylvanas who both began to run away. "Go." The Queen said, pushing forward Thal'ena and Tanadia lightly, being followed by Hroki and Arator shortly after. "Don't get caught." She muttered under her breath as she saw Athrodar steal the Sea Giant's attention.

Once they were far enough away from the cave and certain the rest of their group had made it inside, Sylvanas told Athrodar now was the time to lose the Sea Giant and double back towards their daughters. "Play it safe." She told him seconds before they split up, watching the Sea Giant continue to chase Athrodar whilst she made her way towards the cave.

"Where's papa?" Tanadia asked once Sylvanas had joined up with them.

Sylvanas pulled down her mask, catching her breath and looking over to the young priestess who was concerned about her father. "He's coming." She told Tanadia, looking over to Victoria who was also waiting for a real answer from her mother. "He has the attention of the Sea Giant and is trying to lose it before coming back here so we can move on as a group."

"I hope he's okay." Tanadia said softly, holding onto her staff tightly and looking out at the cave entrance they all just ran through. "I hope he's okay..." She repeated, leaning on her staff and waiting impatiently for Athrodar to return to them.

"So do I." Both Victoria and Sylvanas agreed, the younger elf leaning on her Magister for comfort.

The group waited for five minutes before they heard the sound of footsteps, both Victoria and Sylvanas drawing back arrows in their bows and aiming at the entrance whilst Hroki and Arator stood at the front of their group with Thal'ena and Tanadia in between both groups, the Magister with fire in her hands whilst Tanadia had balls of holy light in hers.

"I think I lost it." Athrodar said a few seconds before he was in their vision. "I can't see it. anywhere."

The moment he rejoined up with their group, he was hugged tightly by Tanadia and then Sylvanas shortly after. "I was beginning to worry about you, Papa." The young priestess muttered, hearing Athrodar chuckle at her concern.

"I was gone for five minutes." Athrodar told his daughter, kissing the top of her head whilst Sylvanas hugged her from behind, trying to get her arms around her husband too. "I'm safe now, okay? We are close to our objective as well." He looked into her golden eyes when she looked up at him, noticing the fear in her eyes and realizing she really was scared she could have lost her father. "I'm safe now." He repeated, stroking her hair and smiling when she closed her eyes the second Sylvanas planted a kiss on her cheek. "And you're safe."

"Good, we're all safe." Thal'ena said, nodding further down into the cave. "Can we get going now?"

"Yes, let's go." Victoria beckoned the rest of their group to follow her, leading them further into the cave.

* * *

A couple hours passed by after the group had made it into the cave with all seven of them now waiting for the ritual to begin before they started their assault. Whilst they were waiting, Sylvanas was napping beside Athrodar who in turn was talking to Tanadia. Victoria looked over to Hroki and Arator who were talking to each other whilst Thal'ena was also napping, only she was by herself instead of leaning on Athrodar like Sylvanas was. "Give it another five minutes." She told them all. "If they're not by that pool with the Tidestone, we can either pack up and leave, or wait for a while longer until those Naga Enchantress' are there."

"I'm all for waiting a bit longer." Athrodar said, looking down at Sylvanas who held onto his arm tighter. "I think your mother is too."

"Then we wait." Victoria agreed, sitting down on a nearby rock and looking out the cave towards the pool in the distance. She looked to her side and reached her hand out at the same time, pulling her hand away when she realized she was reaching for Snow who was no longer with her. "I miss you buddy." She muttered, looking down at her hand after she pulled it away from where she was reaching. "You kept me safe all these years and I couldn't do the same."

Athrodar looked over to his eldest, watching her sit curled up in a ball on top of that rock, frowning to himself when he saw she wasn't moving. "I think your sister is still grieving." He whispered to Tanadia who looked over to her sister too. "This is the first time she is back on the field since we lost Sera, Snow and my mother." He stopped talking just as he brought up Illana, looking down at the ring on his finger as he found it calmed him in situations like this. "I suppose I am too."

"I miss Grandmama too." Tanadia told him, cuddling up to her father. "She always knew what to say when I felt down."

"Yes she did." Athrodar whispered, kissing Tanadia on the temple and holding her close to him. "Yes she did." He repeated, feeling both Sylvanas and Tanadia lean on him a little more as they both had now fallen into a quick nap either side of him.

Thal'ena walked towards her Queen, standing by her side as her gaze fell on Athrodar, Sylvanas and Tanadia, growing a small smile on her face the longer she looked at them. "Don't you want to join the rest of your family?" The Magister asked her Queen, glancing over to Victoria when she heard her move around on her rock to look at her family. "I can look out for the Naga if you want."

Victoria smiled and placed a hand on Thal'ena's cheek. "Thank you." She whispered, getting a smile in return from the Magister before making her way over to her father who slowly closed his eyes to nap beside her mother and sister, sitting down on her knees in front of Athrodar and lightly shaking his leg to get him to stay awake just a little longer. "Is there enough room for one more?" She asked.

"Always for family." Athrodar whispered, shuffling himself and Tanadia over so she could sit in between both him and her mother, moving an arm around Victoria when she leaned on him and catching a glimpse of Sylvanas holding onto her arm. "Your mother misses you." He whispered, kissing the top of her head. "She doesn't talk about it much, but I saw over the years before this war that she missed her little girl."

"I know, papa." Victoria whispered, closing her eyes and feeling at home with her parents on either side of her. "I promise I will visit more often once this is over." She looked over to her sister who looked so peaceful in her nap beside her father. "How is she doing?"

Athrodar looked over to Tanadia and smiled warmly when his eyes fell upon her sleeping form. "She is scared one of us will die, but she is also trying to remain strong throughout this." He leaned closer to the priestess and planting a delicate kiss on the top of her head, feeling her grip onto his arm more tightly. "I think she is just happy to be around family, but wishes her mother was here."

"At least her dad is here." Victoria whispered, closing her eyes and leaning on her father who kissed the top of her head shortly after. "I love you, papa."

"I love you too." He whispered back to her, leaning his head back against the cave wall and closing his eyes too.

* * *

_Hello?_

Tanadia opened her eyes at the sound of the soft, serene voice that echoed in her mind, rubbing her eyes and looking over to her father, sister and step mother. "Hello?" She called out in response to the voice, hearing nothing but her voice echo and looking around to find where it was coming from.

_Little Priestess... I can sense a great power within you._

That made Tanadia stop walking, looking around for the owner of the voice that echoed in her mind, looking around at the rest of her group that all seemed to be sleeping in the cave, even Thal'ena who was meant to be on lookout. "Who are you?" She asked, standing in the middle of the cave and spinning around just to find the owner of the voice. "Where are you?" She asked quietly, reaching for her staff and holding onto it.

_You have been gifted with the light and the light shines through you as it purges your enemies._ The voice let out a soft laugh, almost caressing the young priestess with the action. _You wish to see your family safe and away from harm. I can see that they too have been blessed with the light, being given life over undeath and unknowingly serving as their holy warriors._

Tanadia held onto her staff and looked down at her father. "I want my papa to be safe." She told the voice. "I will do anything to make sure he survives this. I don't want to lose anyone else.. Not after Snow, not after Sera... Not after Grandmama."

_You have the power to keep your family safe, little_ one. _Let me show you._

A bright flash of light blinded the priestess momentarily before being transported to a ship, leading an entire fleet and sailing towards an enemy unknown for the priestess. "Where am I?" She asked, thinking she would be a lot more scared or terrified at being transported away from her family and onto a ship, but the voice in her mind was putting her at ease by just its presence.

A figure walked out of the Captain's Cabin, a young elven woman being followed by two soldiers on her flank, both looking like Paladins. She couldn't see the face of the clearly important figure, but whomever she was seemed to be powerful as the ornate golden armour, the bright, glowing halo floating above her head as well as the soft golden glow of the light shining off of her was all that Tanadia needed to know she was blessed by the light. She began to walk towards the elven woman, only to stop when she heard Liadrin calling out her name.

"Li Li." The figure said, smiling warmly at the Paladin who stood beside her, both women looking out into the ocean they were sailing across. "How far away are we?"

"Is that... me?" Tanadia asked, knowing only two people called her mentor by her nickname, and the figure answered to her own name.

_It is, child. This is who you can become, little one. You will be a beacon of hope, love and light against your enemies and the enemies of the light. _

Tanadia walked around the ship to look at her alternate self, widening her eyes at how beautiful she looked in the golden glow, how much more mature she looked and most of all, how similar she still looked. "How old am I here?" She asked the voice, not getting a response for her question. "Can they.. I.. see me?"

_No._

"We are a couple of days away, my Lady." Liadrin told the other Tanadia, standing beside the older version and handing her a sword. "The priests have blessed your weapon, like you have asked them to do."

"Am I a paladin here?" Tanadia asked, looking this clearly older version of herself held onto the blade, stroking her hand across it and making it glow a bright white. "I don't even know how to use a sword. This can't be me... Can it?"

_It is what you will become, should you continue down your path of righteousness. We don't have much time left, my connection to you isn't as strong as it used to be. Find the Prophet, little elf. He will guide you to me and then I can show you more of your potential. Tell him, you want to see Saa'ra._

Tanadia closed her eyes as another flash of light blinded her from her surroundings, opening them once the light had faded and finding herself back in the cave with Hroki and Arator standing nearby and Thal'ena on look out. She rubbed her eyes and looked over to her father who was distracted by the ring on her finger. "How long was I gone?" She asked him, making Athrodar look over to her.

"You were asleep for about half an hour, little one. But don't worry, nothing has happened so far." He kissed her on the temple, not noticing the frown on her face as he pulled her into his embrace.

"It was a dream..." She muttered, though she didn't fully believe that, not fully anyway. "I hope we get this fight done soon, I want to go back to Dalaran where it's safe."

"We will get it done soon, honey." Athrodar whispered to her, taking hold of her hand that was wrapped around his arm. "Then yes, we can go back to Dalaran where it's safe."

* * *

"Grab it now!" Victoria yelled, pulling the arrow back on her bow and glancing over to Thal'ena who ran to the Tidestone. "Before the reinforcements come!"

Just as the Magister placed her hands on the Tidestone, she was blasted back by a shielding spell placed around it. "Damn it!" She hissed, holding onto one of her hands when it felt like a burning sensation was pulsing on it. "They've warded it... I will have to drop the spell before we can take it."

"How long do you need?" Athrodar asked, nocking an arrow in place and watching the reinforcements come charging over a far away hill.

"Five minutes... Ten at most." Thal'ena began to inspect the Tidestone, frowning at him. "Maaaaaybe fifteen.."

Sylvanas sighed, placing a hand on her quiver and counting the arrows stored inside. "We have five minutes, maybe less until those reinforcements arrive. We can hold out for about ten minutes longer once they arrive, so if you do need fifteen, try to make it twelve."

"Sure, no pressure." Thal'ena muttered, covering her hands in arcane magic and placing them on the Tidestone, trying to fight off the ward.

"Can we hold them back?" Athrodar asked his wife, noticing the uncertainty in her eyes without having to hear her answer. "We will fight no matter what." He told her, smiling a little when she took hold of his hand. "We're stronger together." He whispered.

"Yes we are." She whispered back to him, lifting up Athrodar's hand and kissing the back of it. "Don't try to be a hero, my love and we will both make it through this."

"Hroki and Arator, get ready to hold them off." Victoria made her way to her sister who seemed a bit distracted. "Tana, you've got this, right? You're ready to heal us and keep up your shields?"

"I am." The young Priestess said, giving her sister a warm smile. "I'll make sure to keep them up, you can rely on me."

"I know I can." Victoria said, smiling at her sister before looking at their group. "Be ready, we don't know exactly how many they are sending our way, but it looks like a lot." She looked over to the charging Naga and held onto her bow tightly, looking at what could be one hundred at most of those serpentine beasts making their way over to them.

"How long?" Athrodar asked, glancing back to Thal'ena.

"I've just started!" The Magister yelled, muttering Thalassian curses under her breath. "Give me ten minutes, if I haven't dropped the ward by then, we will need to make a hasty exit with the Tidestone and risk hurting one of us in the process, because this ward will pack a punch if you touch it and it is still up."

"Then you best get to work." Sylvanas told her, nocking an arrow into place and pulling the projectile back on her bowstring. "We will hold them off for as long as possible."

"Thanks." Thal'ena said, focusing on the Tidestone and the magical ward placed around it.

Tanadia placed a shield around them the moment the Naga were close enough, stopping the first volley of spells and spears hurtling towards them. "I don't know how many more volleys I can block..." The priestess strained, gritting her teeth whilst she tried to hold up the shield as a second volley came their way.

"Hold on a little longer." Victoria told her, placing a hand on her arm. "When it's about to break, I need you to use all of your strength to send a pulse of holy magic towards them. Can you do that for me?"

"I.. I don't know." Tanadia looked up at the holy shield above them, noticing the many cracks in it and knowing it will only take another volley or two until it breaks. "I never learnt how to use my magic to harm others... I can try, but it may not be what you want."

"That's all I ask." Victoria told her, turning to face the Naga and nocking an arrow in place on her bow.

Another wave of spells, spears and a few arrows hit the holy shield around them, making Tanadia strain and struggle to hold it up. "Get ready." Athrodar said, knowing the shield was about to break at any second, following the trail of spells that bombarded the shield and caused it to burst, sending out a wave of holy magic that stunned many of the Naga, letting loose his arrow and being followed shortly after by Sylvanas and Victoria who done the same, all three of them pulling out another arrow and repeating the action.

Whilst Hroki and Arator held up their shields, swinging both mace and sword at the Naga that came too close to them, Sylvanas, Athrodar and Victoria were focusing on the mages at the back as well as the priests whilst Thal'ena worked on taking down the ward. The only person not doing something was Tanadia who was struggling to keep her eyes open, let alone fight. "Her mana is greatly drained!" The Magister told their group, both sensing it from their close proximity and occasionally looking over to the young priestess. "Our support is down, so don't do anything stupid."

Athrodar looked back at his daughter who was sitting on the floor, holding onto her staff and only keeping herself up with it. "Hey, are you good?" He asked her, watching her nod lazily and knowing she was just trying to act tough. "Okay, just don't do anything rash. Stay behind us and try to conserve what little mana you have left."

"Okay... Papa.." She breathed, closing her eyes and resting against her staff that remained standing up.

Cutting down more and more, the reinforcements sent towards them were slowly dwindling down, though not without some difficulties. Both Athrodar and Sylvanas had to go into melee when too many pushed forward to engage them with swords, leaving Victoria on her own to deal with the mages and priests at the back whilst her parents were busy. Thal'ena had managed to drop the ward's strength a significant amount in the meantime, but had to stop temporarily when her hand was hit by a rogue fireball.

"Son of a.." Thal'ena held onto her hand and looked back to the Naga mages in the distance, conjuring a fireball with her good hand and launching it at one of the mages in the back, hitting them square in the chest. "Fuck you..." She muttered under her breath, looking down at her hand and wincing at the burn marks across it. "That's going to be a bitch to heal."

Victoria looked back to Thal'ena soon after the spells flew past her head, watching the Magister inspect her hand. "How is it? Can you still drop the ward?"

"I can." Thal'ena told her, gritting her teeth in pain when she engulfed her hands in arcane magic again, getting a stinging sensation in the burnt hand. "It's just going to hurt."

More of the same continued for the next five minutes, Athrodar, Sylvanas and Victoria let loose several arrows into the charging Naga as well as the mages and priests in the back, whilst Hroki and Arator fought their hardest to keep the closest Naga at bay, cutting down every one that got close enough. Tanadia was recovering her mana, though very slowly as she had yet to learn how to conserve it. After all, she was never taught about combat healing or supporting fighters, only how to heal the wounded after the fight. Thal'ena had almost removed the ward, despite gaining an injury in the process with the rogue fireball, she had maintained the arcane spells engulfing her hands and was second away from dropping the ward.

"Get ready!" She yelled, removing one hand from the Tidestone and preparing to summing a portal for them all to use. "The second this drops, we all need to retreat into the portal I am about to put up."

"When you're ready." Victoria said, reaching for her final arrow as she had been the only one not thrown into melee.

Sylvanas cut down two Naga who made their way passed Hroki and Arator, glancing over to Athrodar who cut down the third and retreating back to her side. "Almost done." She told him, placing one sword back but keeping the other in her hand. "Then this war will be one step closer to victory."

The second the ward on the Tidestone dropped, Thal'ena summoned a portal back to Dalaran. "Now!" She yelled standing beside it as Victoria and Athrodar helped Tanadia up onto her feet and carried her through it, followed by Hroki and Arator, leaving both her and Sylvanas at the back.

"Good job." Sylvanas said, taking the Tidestone and stepping through the portal, being followed by Thal'ena soon after.


	51. Chapter 51

**Time Alone**

"How is she?"

Athrodar looked over to Sylvanas and smiled at her a little, returning his attention to his daughter Tanadia. "She's got a fever, though it's to be expected after using up so much mana."

Sylvanas placed a kiss on Athrodar's cheek, moving her arms around him from behind and watching Tanadia shiver in her sleep. "Are you staying here tonight?"

Athrodar shook his head. "I'll come back to bed, just give me a few more minutes with her."

"Okay." Sylvanas whispered in his ear, planting a kiss there shortly after and squeezing him goodbye before leaving the infirmary.

Climbing into the bed and laying beside his daughter, Athrodar stroked some hair away from her eyes to better see her face, moving an arm around Tanadia when she began to shiver again and trying to warm her up. "I am so proud of you." He whispered to her. "More than a father ever can be."

Planting a kiss on her temple, Athrodar stroked her hair once more and climbed out of the bed to look at her sleep before walking out the infirmary. He walked through Dalaran, looking up at the night sky and the thousands of stars that lit up the endless darkness above him, glancing over to Violet Citadel where Sylvanas was waiting for him.

"My sister should be back tomorrow." Sylvanas told Athrodar when he entered their room, snaking her arms around his neck. "Along with both armies. I have already sent a runner to tell them we have secured the Tidestone, so there won't be a surprise when they come back."

"That's good to hear." Athrodar whispered, pressing his head against hers and closing his eyes the second Sylvanas did. "I'm worried about Tanadia, I don't know how long it will take until she recovers."

Sylvanas heard his concern but just smiled, letting out a small chuckle as well. "Many a parent has had the same concern, but don't worry about it, my love." She planted a small kiss on his nose. "She's not the first and won't be the last person to suffer from mana sickness. Nobody has died from it and she will recover in a day or two, she just needs a lot of rest and water."

"You're right... I just don't want to lose her. She's still a new priestess and very young. This is her first war and she wants to be a part of it."

Sylvanas pulled back a little, taking hold of Athrodar's hand and smiling at him. "Come here." She whispered, walking towards the bed and climbing onto it, having Athrodar climb onto the bed shortly after and pulling his head to her chest, stroking his hair and feeling his wrap his arms around her. "You know we are seasoned rangers, gone through more than one war, been in countless battles and, other than one or two fights, we are yet to be defeated." Sylvanas kissed the top of his head. "She is safe with us, as long as we don't have to face an army again. We got lucky with the Naga that she held out so long with the barrier. Thal'ena got injured and that was the worst of it."

Athrodar closed his eyes as he held onto his wife a little tighter. "Do we know what we are going to do once they're all back?"

Sylvanas shook her head, but realised he couldn't see that action so she kissed the top of his head. "No." She told him, keeping her lips pressed to his head. "I'm sure Rhonin or Khadgar have a plan for us, but until they're back, we have no idea." Sylvanas began to slide down until she was laying down, having Athrodar join her and pressing her ear to his chest, listening to his heart and syncing her own with its beat. "All we can do now, my love, is sleep in each other's arms and worry about tomorrow when we wake up."

"Okay." Athrodar said softly, holding Sylvanas close to him and knowing she always loved the feeling of being held against him, listening to his heart and sleeping in his loving arms. Something that hadn't changed over the many years they have now spent together.

* * *

"So that's what it's like to fight beside a King and Queen?" Hroki smirked at Athrodar who rolled his eyes, shaking his head and taking a sip of coffee from his cup. "I have to say, I was expecting much better fighters by my side."

"Please... You would have been dead if we didn't kill those you had missed." Athrodar glanced over to the Tauren who was letting out a hearty laugh, picking up his mug of ale and taking a big gulp of it. This action alone made Athrodar feel sad as it reminded him heavily of Elaria who he hadn't spoken to since their argument, something that had caught the attention of the Tauren.

"Who is it?" He asked, watching Athrodar return to the present day as his mind was elsewhere.

"Who was what?" He asked, feigning his lack of attention just a few seconds ago.

Which only made Hroki smile at him. "The person you were just thinking about." He nudged the elf a little when he didn't speak, urging him to spill the beans. "Come on. I've seen that look before from many soldiers in the past. Something made you think of someone you lost."

"Not lost." Athrodar corrected, keeping his voice low. "Just someone I haven't had contact with for a while, someone who was like a sister to me." He looked over to the Tauren who placed his mug of ale down. "She was a Kaldorei, my best friend." He began to laugh lightly when he thought about her. "She swore like human sailor, fought with orcish ferocity and drunk like a dwarf." He laughed a bit louder. "Ate like one too."

Hroki laughed loudly at the description of Elaria. "Sounds like someone I could get along with."

"I'm sure she would have loved having someone she could drink with. I could never keep up with her."

"Where is she now?" Hroki asked when the conversation began to die down.

Athrodar looked down at the remaining coffee in his cup, swirling it around in circles when he thought about his answer. "She's uhm... She's leading a group of assassins somewhere to take down key targets in the Legion. Or something like that."

Hroki smiled a little. "Or something like that." He repeated, picking up his mug of ale once more.

The two of them sat at the bar in the inn they were visiting for at least ten minutes before they were joined by Victoria who planted a kiss on her father's cheek before sitting between both him and Hroki. "So what have I missed?" She asked, tapping her hands on the bar in front of her.

"He asked about Elaria." Athrodar said, moving an arm around his daughter who smiled and cuddled up to him. "I told him the truth. Well, most of the truth."

"Even about Sera?" She asked quietly, looking over to Hroki who shook his head. "She was her sister, my Captain and a woman I loved dearly. She was killed when we first came to the Broken Isles, slain with the rest of my guard on the Broken Shore."

"I'm sorry for your loss." Hroki said, bowing his head to her out of respect. "I lost my brother during the Northrend Campaign, it isn't easy losing someone you love."

Victoria smiled and closed her eyes as she cuddled back into her father. "I'm sorry for your loss too." She said softly, smiling a little wider when Athrodar kissed the top of her head. "At least I still have my parents. I don't want to lose them, not after losing my birth parents a few decades ago, which I'm told is nothing for an elf."

"Well, Sylvanas and I are both at least two centuries old." Athrodar told her. "Thirty years is basically two years for humans."

"Good point." Victoria said, sitting up and signalling for the innkeeper to come over to her, ordering a drink for herself and looking over to the entrance of the inn when she heard Thal'ena curse under her breath. "Here's my Magister."

Athrodar looked over to Thal'ena who was hugged by Victoria once the Queen ran over to her, letting out a small laugh and smiling at how his daughter leapt at the Magister and hugged her tightly. "Sometimes, I think she forgets she's the Queen of Stormwind."

Hroki looked over to Sylvanas who walked down the stairs of the inn, grinning when Athrodar didn't see her and then smiling widely when she too hugged Athrodar tightly, but this time from behind and catching him off guard.

"I need you." She whispered in his ear. "Alone and in our bed."

Athrodar raised an eyebrow and glanced over to Hroki. "Excuse me." He said, clearing his throat and having Sylvanas drag him out the inn the second she took hold of his hand.

Hroki looked over to Victoria and Thal'ena who sat down where Athrodar was sitting seconds ago. "So what's the plan for today?" He asked the Queen, making her shrug her shoulders. "I don't know. I guess we wait for Rhonin and Khadgar before we start anything."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Thal'ena muttered, looking at the burn on her hand and grimacing as it hadn't fully healed yet.

"You're going back to the healers today, right?" Victoria asked, glancing down at her Magister's hand.

"I am." She replied, looking over to her Queen and smiling. "They said it should be healed fully today, as long as I spend a couple hours with them."

"I hope my sister has the same results." Victoria now said, though in a quieter voice. "I want her to live through this war and not have it affect her so much. She's still a child."

"She has her entire family looking after her." Thal'ena told her Queen, looking over to Hroki. "This big guy too." She smiled and looked back down at her Queen. "And this talented mage." She said, nudging her lightly. "She'll be fine."

"She'll be fine." Victoria repeated, smiling at the three words and nodding her head. "She'll be fine." She said again, hooking an arm around her Magister's. "For now, let's celebrate our victory and the beginning of the end for the Legion on our planet."

* * *

"Oh... I needed... that." Sylvanas panted, holding onto Athrodar who was laying on top of her, also panting and smiling warmly as she felt him still inside her. "So... So much." She purred, closing her eyes and continuing to hold him tightly against her.

"I can see... That." Athrodar panted, placing a kiss or two on her neck, keeping his face buried in that part of her. "Question is... Why?"

"I spent time with our kids whilst you were at the bar." She told him, taking hold of the bed sheet and throwing it over the pair of them the best she could. "And I felt back at home with them, which made me want you as we never got to be together. Then I decided to come find you and here we are."

"It feels like only a four hours ago we were in bed." Athrodar told her, finally pulling out and rolling to one side, though he had Sylvanas laying her head on his chest shortly after and stroking circles on him. "Someone may think this is all we do."

"This _is _all we do." She told him, laughing and planting a kiss on his chest. "Not that I'm complaining." Sylvanas looked over to Seliana who had returned in front of the army and was taken by Sylvanas to make this into a threesome. "She definitely isn't."

Athrodar looked over to Sylvanas' former Captain and smiled as she slept peacefully beside them. "How long have you been trying to get her to join us?"

"Since she became my Captain." Sylvanas cooed, stretching out a hand and stroking Seliana's back that was facing them. "She was just too shy to do anything about it, so I had to drag her with me."

"I think she enjoyed it though." Athrodar said, kissing his wife lightly. "She was all over me for the majority of it."

"That's because she has had a crush on you since you joined my Forsaken." Sylvanas told him, planting a kiss on his cheek. "But so did I and I acted on it, claiming you for myself."

"Imagine if she did too." Athrodar smirked at his wife. "You may not have what you have now."

"Oh I would have." Sylvanas told him with confidence. "You were always meant to be mine. No matter what universe, you would have been my King, consort, mate, lover and everything else you are to me, especially my husband." She stroked his cheek, moving over to sit on his lap. "My handsome, strong, battle hardened husband who will stop at nothing to make sure his family is safe and happy."

"No I won't." He whispered, having his wife lean down to kiss him and being interrupted when there was a knock at their door.

"What is it?" Sylvanas asked, laying flat on Athrodar's chest and looking over to the door that had remained shut.

"It's your sister, my Lady." The voice said, sounding like Cyndia. "She's back with the armies and has requested for you and Athrodar to meet up with her as soon as possible."

"Okay, thank you." Sylvanas looked back down at Athrodar who was gazing into her eyes. "Looks like it's time to get up, get dressed and meet my sister and brother-in-law."

Athrodar kissed his wife lightly, hearing her chuckle when he went in for two more kisses, each one lasting longer than the one before. "I don't want to." He whispered, planting another long kiss on her lips and moving his hands to her ass, squeezing both cheeks and making her let out a small moan before she bit her bottom lip. "I want to lay in bed, like we are, with my naked wife."

"I want that too." Sylvanas purred, pressing her forehead to his. "But we have to leave. It could be important."

Athrodar sighed when she climbed off him, rolling over to face Seliana who remained asleep. "Should we wake her?"

"No." Sylvanas told him, looking around the room for her clothes. "Where did you put my leggings?"

Athrodar grinned and sat up, taking hold of Sylvanas' hand and dragging her towards him, making her laugh when she fell on his lap and gazed into his eyes. "Kiss me and I'll tell you."

Sylvanas giggled again, stroke her hands through is hair. "You really don't want to leave this room do you?" She whispered, pressing her head to his again but this time kissing him lightly on the lips. "If my sister wasn't back in the city and we weren't helping them fight the Legion, I would gladly take you up on staying here in this room." She smiled when she saw him look away, knowing he was upset they couldn't and wanted nothing more than to spend countless hours in here. "We also have five children between us to look after. One of them is recovering from mana sickness whilst another is still a baby. And our son is becoming a ranger in the Farstrider Academy."

"You're right..." Athrodar muttered, looking into Sylvanas' eyes and having her give him a long kiss on the lips before rubbing her nose against his. "Let's go meet your sister."

"Okay." She said with a smile, cupping his face in her hands. "And look at it this way, once the meeting is over, we can spend time with our children. Play with them, teach them and just make sure they're safe."

* * *

"We dealt a decisive blow to the Naga in Azsuna, forcing them all back into the great sea." Rhonin looked over to Khadgar who nodded his head once at the Archmage, taking over the meeting.

"With the Tidestone in our grasp, Baine coming back here with the Hammer of Khaz'goroth from Highmountain, Tyrande and Malfurion returning with the Tears of Elune and with Nathanos leaving to go to Stormheim to collect the Aegis of Aggramar, we are on our way to collecting all five."

Victoria frowned, tapping her fingers on the table in front of her. "You said five, but only mentioned four. Where's the final one?"

"Suramar. And unfortunately, the withered there are wasted away enough to no longer recognise friend from foe." Khadgar looked over to Rhonin who nodded his head once at him this time. "Though we may have a potential ally."

"Oh?" Athrodar asked, leaning forward. "Who?"

"A First Arcanist by the name of Thalyssra. I have word Liadrin has already made her way over to talk to her, along with her Blood Knights." Khadgar, gripped his staff in his hand, looking down at the small gathering in front of him. "I am to join them soon, but first I have something that needs to be dealt with in the Exodar. Something I hope Velen can shed some light on."

"What is it?" Sylvanas asked the mage.

"Some sort of shard. It fell from the sky and landed in the ocean nearby. I don't know what it is yet, but I can feel some sort of holy magic coming from it." Khadgar shrugged his shoulders. "I suppose I'll find out soon enough."

"Anything else?" Athrodar asked, always hating meetings, no matter what it was about.

"For now, no. We just have to wait until we have all five Pillars of Creation before we can figure out what to do with them." Rhonin stood up and bowed his head to everyone. "You may leave now, I will call upon you all should anything come up."

Just as everyone stood up, there was a yell coming from the twin doors followed by them opening and making everyone smile when little Alleria ran to her mother and hugged her tightly.

"I'm sorry, my Lady. She just wanted to see her parents."

Sylvanas waved away Raven's concern, the young woman coming with Sylvanas and Athrodar to Dalaran to look after their children whilst they were busy. "It's okay, we were all just leaving." She looked down at her daughter and picked her up. "Come on, let's go play. Okay?"

"Yeah!" Alleria exclaimed with excitement, making everyone else smile just a little brighter.

"This life is still the best thing for her." Vereesa said to Athrodar once Sylvanas left the room with Raven and her daughter. "Before Arthas, I always thought she would turn down every suiter and die alone. It wasn't a happy thought, but she showed no sign of finding someone, at least not to me.

But now she has you." Vereesa placed a hand on Athrodar's arm. "She has more love for you and her children than for the rest of us. I am happy you're in her life, you have made her this person that I had never expected."

Athrodar just smiled and lowered his head. "Thank you, Vereesa." He whispered. "I hope we find your sister Alleria before this is over, so she can return home with both of her sisters and not just the one."

"I hope so too." The younger Windrunner muttered.


	52. Chapter 52

**The Shard**

Athrodar stood at Krasus' Landing, replaying the events of the Northrend war over and over again in his mind, in particular when Sylvanas shot his shoulder with an arrow and falling off the side of the city, being caught by a Frostwyrm and returning to Icecrown shortly after. He slowly placed his hand over where Frostmourne had pierced his chest, feeling nothing more than a scar that had refused to heal, even after being brought back to life, visiting countless healers and spending a lot of time near the Sunwell. The rest of his scars healed the day he was brought back, but Frostmourne's scar had remained. "I know you're still out there." He whispered, looking out towards the ocean. "I know your eyes are watching me this very second."

Just as he stepped away from the edge, he felt a sharp sting in his scar and collapsed to one knee. He knew exactly what this meant - The Lich King had woke up once more from his slumber. "Damn you..." He said with gritted teeth, thanking the Titans that nobody was there to see him as it was the dead of night. "Cursed to feel your blade even after I have been cured of your curse."

He slowly made his way off Krasus' Landing and further in to Dalaran, holding himself up against a nearby wall and holding onto his abdomen, specifically over his scar that had remained dormant for years until today. He took a couple more steps forward but then stumbled as the pain became unbearable, having a couple nearby Kirin Tor Guardians rush over to him and ask if he was okay. "Healer... Get me to a healer." He muttered, falling unconscious as his body couldn't take the pain.

Whilst Athrodar was taken to the infirmary, a Kirin Tor Guardian split off from the group helping the ranger and made his way to Sylvanas, knocking on the door and calling out her name, waiting for her to answer the door. "What is it?" She said, rubbing her eyes after falling asleep beside her daughter Alleria.

"It's your husband, my Lady." The Guardian said, bowing his head to her. "He has been taken to the infirmary after we found him collapsed in the middle of the city."

Sylvanas widened her eyes in horror. She and her entire kin knew elves didn't just collapse unless something was terribly wrong, reaching for her cloak and throwing it around herself. "What happened?" She asked, closing the door behind her.

"We are yet to know, my Lady." The Guardian said, keeping up with the agile, lithe elf who made her way to the infirmary with haste. "He looked in pain, but we have sent for our healers to help him."

Sylvanas entered the infirmary and saw many of the injured soldiers all looking over to the sound of Athrodar yelling out in pain, including Tanadia who didn't look as worried as she would have thought she would have. _Maybe she didn't see who it was._ She thought, making her way to the yelling and being held back by a couple of priests when she got close enough. "Let me by, he's my husband!"

"I can't, my Lady. We don't know what is causing this, but he is in great pain and is difficult to keep calm." The priest looked behind them, watching as his brothers and sisters struggled to keep Athrodar on the bed as he was thrashing.

"Help him!" Sylvanas roared, pushing her way through the priests and standing beside Athrodar's bed, only for him to pass out once she took hold of his hand. "Athrodar?"

The priests got to work on examining Athrodar now that he had become unconscious once again, searching his body for any wounds or damage that would explain his sudden outburst of yells and screams. "There is nothing..." One of them muttered.

"Except this scar." Another said, being gently pushed aside when Sylvanas stepped forward after being pulled back so they could examine him.

"Scar?" She asked, looking down at the Scar of Frostmourne and closing her eyes. "Oh... He hasn't said anything about it for years, I had almost forgotten." She placed a hand over his scar, suddenly sucking in air through her teeth and holding onto the scar she got from Frostmourne too with her other hand. "Gah!" She breathed, collapsing to one knee.

"My Lady!" One of the priests exclaimed, helping Sylvanas up onto her feet. "What's wrong?"

"I... I know what... What hurts in him." She removed her hand from her scar, expecting to see blood on her hand and finding none. "The Lich King has awoken." She said, looking up at the priests who now all stared at her, wide eyed and a little scared. "His scar is what is causing him pain, and now me. It happened when he was undead, but I never -"

"Lady Windrunner." A chilling voice said, standing behind her and the priests. "I need to speak with you."

Sylvanas looked back to Darion Fordring, the Ebon Blade Champion standing still, completely unmoving and cold. "He's back, isn't he?"

Darion looked passed them all and towards Athrodar who remained unconscious in the bed. "He has contacted the Ebon Blade on several occasions and has shown us to some powerful weapons we can use against the Legion." He looked back to Sylvanas. "I am here because _he_ has asked for him."

"No." Sylvanas said, standing directly in front of Darion. "He has sacrificed enough of his life fighting against the Lich King. I'll be damned if you are taking him so he can serve the Lich King once more."

"He's not being called back into action." Darion told her. "He has a mission for him," the Death Knight looked over to Athrodar who hadn't woken up yet, "once he's fit and ready to leave."

Sylvanas frowned at the Death Knight, well aware the priests were still around them when she asked her question. "What mission?"

"The mission is for him, not you."

Sylvanas smirked at the Death Knight. "You must not get a lot of updates in your floating fortress, but we do everything together. So whatever the mission for him is, I am also going on the mission."

Darion sighed. "I'll be back when he wakes up."

* * *

Victoria looked around her bedroom, pulling back curtains, pillows and opening the occasional door. "Where are you?" She asked herself, hearing a giggle in the distance and smiling when she had pinpointed her sister's hideout the second the game started, but wanted to keep this game going. "I am dealing with a master ranger. Someone who is very good at hiding."

When the giggling continued, Victoria rolled her eyes at how bad her sister really was at hiding, but found it also very adorable at the same time. "Unless... She is here!" Victoria opened the door to the bathroom, on the complete other side of the room to where Alleria was hiding. "Wow, you are really good at hiding, Alleria." She said out loud, hearing the excitement in her sister's laughter shortly after.

"I don't think I'll ever find her." Victoria said, feigning sadness and letting out a long sigh, walking towards where Alleria was hiding and standing directly beside it. "I think I may have to just give up."

Alleria jumped out of where she was hiding, letting out a cute roar and jumping at her sister. "I win!" She said, hugging her tightly.

"Yes you do, little one." Victoria said, laughing. "The cutest, most bestest hider ever."

"I am the bestest ever!" Alleria cheered, giggling when Victoria kissed her on the cheek. "Where's mama and papa?" She asked when she had stopped giggling.

"I.. I don't know." Victoria admitted, kissing her on the cheek again and standing up, picking up her sister and carrying her on her hip. "Let's go look for them, okay?"

"Okay." Alleria said with a beaming smile.

The two of them searched all over Dalaran, though mostly stuck to the inn's and the Violet Citadel, having to ask one of the guards where her parents were and following them towards the infirmary. "Thank you." She said, bowing her head to the guard who bowed his head back to the Queen before leaving. "Come on, let's go see them."

"... So it just started hurting?" Victoria heard her mother ask, dropping in to the conversation halfway through.

"It did. I wasn't expecting it to, especially after it being nothing more than a scar for years." Athrodar looked down at it the best her could, being restrained to the bed so the healers could examine him a lot better. "What about you? Has yours done anything?"

"When I placed my hand over you scar, mine did start to hurt. But clearly not as bad as I didn't need the entire priesthood to hold me down." They both laughed with Sylvanas smiling down at her husband. "I'll talk to someone soon, okay? For now, I just want to keep an eye on you and make sure you're okay."

Athrodar closed his eyes when Sylvanas leaned down and kissed him, wanting to move the kiss even further but couldn't due to his situation and hearing Victoria clear her throat as she stood behind her mother. "This is exactly what it looks like." He said, wiping the grin off his face when he saw their middle daughter, Alleria, stand beside Sylvanas.

"What happened here?" Victoria asked, looking down at Athrodar and the bindings on his wrists and ankles to keep him on the bed.

"The Lich King has returned." Sylvanas told her, placing a hand on her arm when she saw Victoria didn't know he was dormant over the last decade or two. "It's not Arthas, it's Bolvar now. He took up the mantle to save the world from the undead after Arthas was killed." She looked over to Athrodar who felt a little guilty at keeping this secret between the select few who were there. "They didn't tell anyone there was still a Lich King to bring hope back into the world. Turns out the news is about to spread very quickly."

"Partneree with the Legion attacking us, some might think this is the end time." Athrodar muttered, being slapped on the arm by Sylvanas. "What?"

"Is now really the time for doom and gloom?" She asked, shaking her head at him.

"No, but I would really like to be free of these bindings." Athrodar looked at his wife with pleading eyes, making her feel guilty and hearing her sigh.

"Okay, I suppose you're fine now." She undone both wrist bindings, yelping when Athrodar yelled and launched himself at her, hugging his wife tightly. "Don't do that!" She exclaimed, thinking for a second she had made a mistake.

Victoria cleared her throat, trying to get them to stop what they were doing before it started. "So why is dad in here?"

"Because his scar, the one Frostmourne gave him, started to hurt. A lot." Sylvanas looked over to him and took hold of his hand. "It happened last night and I have been here since, worrying and looking after him."

Alleria climbed onto the bed and hugged her father, being hugged back by him. "I'm okay." He whispered to her, kissing the top of Alleria's head. "Your papa is okay."

"Hey." Victoria whispered, placing a hand on Sylvanas' shoulder. "Have you slept yet? I can only imagine you were up all night worrying about him."

"I'll sleep later." Sylvanas told her, looking back down at Athrodar and now Alleria. "Has Khadgar returned from the Exodar yet?"

"Not yet, no." Victoria told her. "Apparently he should be here later today though."

"Then I will sleep once he has returned and the meeting that will surely come after his return." Sylvanas stroked the top of Alleria's head and smiled when she and Athrodar saw her yawn. "Though this one will sleep before hand."

* * *

"So what did you find out from Velen?" Rhonin asked, looking down at the shard laying down on the table in front of both him and Khadgar.

"This is from a Prime Naaru. It holds a message that I have seen and came straight back here the moment I saw it." Khadgar looked up at Rhonin who was waiting for his answer. "You may want to sit down for this."

Listening to his fellow mage, Rhonin sat down on the opposite side of the table as Khadgar who placed his hand on top of the crystal in the middle of the shard, projecting an image of someone he had not expected to see. "Turalyon?" He asked, sitting forward and looking at the image.

"Azeroth," the shard said, echoing in throughout the room. "I pray that this, the final plea of the Army of the Light, has reached you intact. The thousand years' war has reached its peak, but the nightmare is far from over. This vessel represents our ultimate sacrifice. It must reach the prophet. He... is the key. None of us asked for this burden, but it is what fate deemed. Succeed, and the light may yet endure. Fail, and all worlds will burn."

The image faded away back into the shard, leaving Rhonin awestruck by the event and Khadgar with a smile of certainty painted on his face. "We are not alone in this war." He told the Archmage, watching Rhonin collect his thoughts. "This, Army of the Light, it could be what we need to push the Legion off of this world for good."

"If Turalyon is still alive, do you think Alleria is too?" Rhonin asked, thinking about Vereesa in this situation more than the defeat of the Legion. "She and Sylvanas will want to see this."

"We will show them. For now, I need to examine this more." Khadgar placed one hand on his chin, rubbing it whilst looking down at the shard. "If you want, you can go get them now. Perhaps they will see something I have missed."

Rhoning nodded his head, opening the door to leave and turning back to face Khadgar. "This is a big jump in the right direction. We have almost all the Pillars of Creation and now there's an entire army fighting for the Light against the Legion, with Turalyon in its ranks? This war might just be over before Winter's Veil."

Khadgar smiled and nodded his head. "It just might."

Whilst Rhonin had left to gather his wife and sister-in-law, as well as the rest of their family, Khadgar examined the shard laid out in front of him and only getting the same message from Turalyon over and over again, watching it fade away just seconds before Rhonin returned with everyone. "What did you find?" Sylvanas asked, sitting down at one end of the table, looking at the shard in front of her.

"What I found was very -" Khadgar's sentence was interrupted when the image of Turalyon appeared in front of them all the moment Arator got close to it.

"Arator, son." The image of Turalyon said, making everyone there look up at it. "If you can hear this, I have an important message. For ages, I have hunted the Burning Legion across the stars. In retribution, the dreadlord Balnazzar has been sent to Azeroth to destroy all that I hold dear. You must gather the defenders of the Light, Arator. Keep the Light alive. Fight, or ALL is lost." Everyone except Arator all looked around at each other, not liking the grim sounding news from this message. "Farewell, son. Do not lose faith, for it is in the darkest moments that the light shines brightest."

As the image of Turalyon fades away, Vereesa looked over to her nephew who looked down at the table in front of them, lost in thought. "Are you okay?" She asked, watching him look back at all of them gathered around him.

"You heard my father. We must act!" He told them, looking back at Khadgar who gave him a single nod. "I will take this message to the Paladins of Light's Hope Chapel, they will get the word out to all the far reaches of Azeroth, to gather our armies."

"And where will we go?" Victoria asked, having a nod or two in agreement from Thal'ena and Vereesa.

"The Broken Shore." Rhonin said, looking over to Khadgar. "The Tomb of Sargeras is where the Legion draws its power on our world. If we can take that, we will deal a major blow to the Legion on our world."

"There is another target." Khadgar said, speaking up when they all began to agree on the Tomb of Sargeras as their target. "We may need more allies in this fight, and Suramar is close by, but it is overrun by the Nightborne who follow Grand Magistrix Elisande. She and her followers are loyal to the Burning Legion, but we have made contact with a resistance force who mean to put an end to her reign."

"Who?" Sylvanas asked for the group.

"A Nightborne named Thalyssra. Liadrin is helping her out now, but if we all show up to aide them in taking Suramar back and making it main port for which we will launch attacks on the Legion from, we will swing this war greatly in our favor." Khadgar saw them all begin to think about it, smiling at their uncertainty. "I will send word to Tyrande, Lor'themar, Nathanos, Baine and anyone else who leads an army to meet us here in Dalaran to discuss it more."

"I am all for this." Athrodar said, standing at the entrance of the room they were all in.

"You're supposed to be resting." Sylvanas told him, shaking her head and walking over to him.

"I know, but if you're all summoned to a secret meeting, I would like to know what it's about." He looked over to Khadgar who nodded once at him. "This Suramar place... Will it be the key to pushing the Legion off our world?"

"I believe it will be a start, yes." Khadgar told him.

Athrodar nodded slowly, looking down at Sylvanas who had a hand placed flat on his chest and looking up at him, gazing into her eyes and knowing she was waiting for his confirmation more than anything. "Then I am all for this plan."

"And so am I." Sylvanas said, looking back at Khadgar. "If he believes in this, then so do I."

"Then that's the plan." Victoria said, looking over to her parents. "We go take Suramar with Liadrin and this Thalyssra person. Get us a new ally and a port to launch attack on the Broken Shore." The Queen smiled. "Seems like a good plan. Hopefully we get an update on Turalyon and the Army of the Light in the meantime.

Vereesa smiled at the plan. "Alleria is alive." She said, looking over to Sylvanas and only Sylvanas. "We both know she is stronger with him. If Turalyon is alive, then she must be too, right?"

Sylvanas smiled and nodded her head. "She's alive. I believe it too." She looked up at Athrodar who kissed her lightly. "I love you." She whispered, closing her eyes when he hugged her tightly.

"I love you too." He whispered in her ear, both of them swaying back and forth whilst looking at the rest of them, Sylvanas safely secured in Athrodar's arms. "When are we leaving to meet up with them?"

"Soon." Khadgar said, looking back down at the shard. "Once the rest of the leaders of Azeroth get back here, we will conduct a meeting and inform them of the plan."


	53. Chapter 53

**Felo'Melorn**

"It would be nice to see Vol'jin again."

Athrodar yawned and nodded his head slowly, too tired to actually respond and trying to stay awake whilst Sylvanas wandered their bedroom, shedding one piece of clothing every time she passed his line of sight. "It would." He said, yawning.

"Catch up with him, see how he is doing with the whole Warchief thing." Sylvanas looked over to Athrodar who had his head rested on his fist, but his eyes were closed. She cleared her throat and grinned when he was startled awake. "I'm sorry, did I wake you?" She asked innocently.

"No, no. I'm fine." He whispered, stretching forward and taking hold of her hand, making Sylvanas look down at the gesture before they both shared a smile. "Come to bed, let me hold you." Athrodar saw her smile a little wider. "Let me make sure you are well protected in my arms."

"I can't." Sylvanas told him when Athrodar dragged her towards the bed slowly. "I have a few more things to do, making sure our daughters are sleeping for one. Getting dressed into something more comfortable is another thing." She leaned down and kissed him lightly. "I will be five minutes more, ten tops. I promise."

"I can't promise I will be awake." Athrodar told her, slowly drifting off to sleep when his hand fell out of hers. "I will try..." He muttered, hearing Sylvanas chuckle as the last thing before falling asleep completely.

"Then I guess I'll just have to cuddle up in your arms manually." She told him, smiling at her now sleeping husband. "I'll let you sleep now." She whispered, leaning down and kissing his forehead. "You've had a tough day."

After leaving for just over ten minutes and coming back, Sylvanas climbed into the bed beside her husband and moved one of his arms around her just before there was a knock at their door. "Titans... Now what?" She said under her breath, climbing out of the bed and opening the door to find Darion standing there, looking as angry as usual. A common trait for most Death Knights she found out the day they came to her court years ago. "What? He's sleeping, it's been a long day. Can't you just come back tomorrow?"

"No." Darion said, pushing his way into the bedroom which annoyed the helpless Sylvanas who had lost her ability to come toe to toe with a Death Knight. "Wake up." Darion kicked the bottom of the bed, jolting Athrodar awake.

Athrodar groaned and looked up at the glowing blue eyes staring down at him, unfortunately they were not the pair he had got lost in countless times in the past. "Oh fuck sake." He said, sighing and sitting up to look at Darion who stood over him. "What do you want, Darion? I am no longer a Death Knight, you can't tell me what to do."

"No, but I think we all know who is back." Darion folded his arms in front of him when Athrodar rubbed his eyes to wake himself up. "He has asked for you. I don't know if he knows you're alive or not. But I presume he does know."

"Brilliant." Athrodar muttered.

"Hold up." Sylvanas said, standing in between both Athrodar and Darion. "He's not going anywhere. I told you this, we are both done with the Lich King and anything to do with undeath." She looked back at her mate and placed a gentle hand on his cheek. "Every time he comes up against the Lich King, he has either been killed or has come seriously close to being killed. I don't want that for him any more, not after all we've done."

"_He_ doesn't care." Darion told her. "One way or another, he is going to see Bolvar. Even if I have to drag him there myself."

"Then I am coming with him." Sylvanas told him, reaching for the knife hidden in the draw beside the bed, pointing it at the Death Knight. "And don't even think about stopping me."

"Fine." Darion said, walking towards the door. "We're leaving in ten minutes. Meet me outside the Violet Citadel and then we can leave."

Once Darion left them, Sylvanas placed down the knife and turned to face Athrodar, brushing her hands through his hair when he leaned forward and kissed her stomach, stroking his hair when she heard him sigh and press his forehead to her belly. "I know." She whispered, keeping her hands in his hair. "Another thing we have to deal with."

"I already miss our bed. The tide coming in at night and laying beside each other in the sand during the day." Athrodar smiled at the one pass time he had missed the most since this war started. "Curling up under a blanket on a cold night to gaze at the stars on the balcony of the spire. Staying there all night and waking up the next day in the same place, curled up under the same blanket and in each others arms."

Sylvanas closed her eyes and began to think about those days. Rare as they were, she kept them close at heart as it became the thing she looked forward to the most. "You seemed to miss out one crucial part of those times." She told him, smiling when he kissed her stomach again.

"Oh? What did I miss?" He asked, hearing her chuckle lightly.

"We would have sex just before it got dark. Made sure it wasn't quick either. It was slow, passionate and we gazed into each other's eyes the whole time." She looked down at him, tilting his head up whilst keeping her hands in his hair. "That's what made those nights special. I miss them too, but it is definitely something we should do when this is over."

"Back on the balcony of our spire?" Athrodar asked, watching Sylvanas nod and receiving a long kiss from her. "I would love that."

"Then we stick to each other like wet clothes on skin throughout the rest of this war. Keep each other safe and most importantly, keep our family safe." Sylvanas sat down on his lap and cupped his face in her hands. "But first, we are heading back to Northrend."

"That we are..." Athrodar muttered, his mind drifting off to think about why the Lich King wanted him now.

"I love you." Sylvanas whispered in his ear, kissing his cheek shortly after. "So much."

Athrodar closed his eyes and smiled when Sylvanas buried her head under his chin and into his neck, stroking her back and pulling her a little closer. "I love you too."

* * *

Victoria looked around the huge, magically enhanced room in the middle of the Violet Citadel. "They're still not here." She whispered to Thal'ena who rolled her eyes at the predictability of it.

"Of course not. I think your parents are tired of meetings for the week, so they are probably having a meeting of their own in their bedroom." The Magister leaned back in her chair and began to smirk. "Probably with their not so servant, servants."

"Oh please." Victoria shook her head. "They're more professional than... Actually you're probably right."

"Is this everyone?" Khadgar asked, looking around the many, many faces present.

"My sister isn't here, nor my brother-in-law." Vereesa told them, rubbing her arm and looking around the room. "Should we wait a little longer for them?"

"No." Victoria told her. "They know the plan already, this meeting is for everyone else."

Khadgar nodded his head. "She's right. Since we are expecting nobody else, I shall begin explaining why I brought you all here." Khadgar waved his hand and summoned a map of Suramar. "This, for those who haven't been in the loop for one reason or another, is Suramar. Our next target." The Archmage looked over to Rhonin who nodded and waved his hand this time, making the image of Suramar zoom in on the city itself. "This entire city is what we are here to take. Now, we do have Liadrin helping out the Nightborne Arcanist we have made contact with, and so far we have freed, or at the very least, helped some of the other Nightborne out with their mana addiction."

"Who is the Arcanist?" Tyrande asked.

"A Nightborne named Thalyssra." Khadgar told her. "She has proven to be very -"

"You trust her?" Tyrande now asked, the High Priestess raising one of her long eyebrows at the mage. "I advise you shouldn't. She and her order stood with Elisande, saving themselves whilst the rest of us had to fight to survive after the sundering... After the War." The High Priestess shook her head. "No, this would be a mistake to trust her. She and her _Nightborne_ are almost as bad as Azshara herself."

"Whatever past you share, I have been informed that she is just trying to save her people and destroy the Night Well." Khadgar looked at Tyrande who listened to what he had to say, but managed to hide it from her facial expressions, keeping the look of someone who doesn't trust the Nightborne.

Victoria let out a small sigh, leaning on her fist that was propped up on the table. "Why are we here?" She asked Thal'ena, having the Magister shrug her shoulders.

"I thought we would have avoided this like your parents." She glanced over to her Queen. "Just saying, we've heard this all already. We could slip away and check on Tanadia and if they ask why we're leaving, just tell them that you are checking on your sister." She began to grin at her Queen. "Simple as that."

"Okay." Victoria whispered to her. "I'll see if I can slip away."

Thal'ena watched her Queen stand up from her chair, that was luckily placed near the edge of the room so she was behind the more 'important' guests. "Smart..." She muttered when she saw Victoria sidestep slowly towards the door, watching her open it slowly and now smiling when the Queen slipped out. "My turn." She whispered to herself, emulating her Queen's movements, though with less success as she got the attention of an advisor or two.

* * *

Tanadia smiled at her mother who was holding onto her hand. "I am fine, mama." The priestess said, closing her eyes when Thalina placed a gentle hand on her cheek.

"I know, honey. But as you said, I am your mother and I am allowed to worry about you." Thalina brushed her thumb across her cheek and moved her arm around her shortly after. "And since we're in this bed, waiting for your father or at the very least, being told you can leave, I am going to make sure you are safe."

"Okay." Tanadia whispered cuddling up to her mother just as Victoria made her way into the infirmary.

"Good, you're awake." Victoria said, sitting at the bottom of the bed and placing a hand on her sister's leg. "Have you seen our father?"

Tanadia shook her head. "I thought he would have been with you." She said. "Is he not?"

"He is not and I am too afraid to go look for him since I may walk in on something... Scarring." Victoria shivered, making Thalina chuckle in the meantime. "Glad you think it's funny, Dawnstrider. You haven't walked in on them."

"Are we so certain he's in the Dalaran?" Tanadia asked, looking at her sister. "For all we know, he has returned to Stormwind with Sylvanas and our sisters to spend time with them before the attack."

Victoria rubbed the back of her head. "Although that does sounds like something they would do, I think they would have told us." She shrugged her shoulders. "No matter, I am here to stay with my sister before we move out to take Suramar."

"Are the Legion there?" Tanadia asked.

"Uhm... Not per se, no. We are attacking the Nightborne who are using the Nightwell to commune with the Legion and to draw power and stop our allies in Suramar from toppling their rulers." Victoria tried to think of another way to word it. "We have allies in Suramar and they are going to help us defeat the bad guys in their city."

"But... Why can't we talk to them?" Tanadia asked. "We may need them in order to defeat the Legion, if we can show them that they are in the wrong, they could come over to our side." The Priestess looked over to her mother who just smiled at her. "I don't know how I feel about killing people who aren't with the Burning Legion."

"They might not be demons, but they have and are working with them." Victoria told her, gently patting her leg. "They are still a threat to us because of this."

"I wish papa was here." Tanadia told her sister. "He could explain why we are going to attack the Nightborne instead of getting them to see reason."

Victoria sighed. "Yeah... I wish he was here too."

* * *

"This place is a lot colder compared to our last visit." Sylvanas whispered.

"The last time we visited, we were undead." Athrodar reminded her, glancing over to his wife who was shivering and placing his cloak around her. "Here. I know how easily you get cold."

"What about you?" She asked, still shaking though not nearly as much. "You'll freeze to death."

"I'll be fine." Athrodar told her with a smile. "I have grown resistant to the cold over the years." He saw her continue to shiver and placed an arm around her, rubbing her arm to try and keep her warm. "Besides, if he's going to kill and raise us, I won't be needing a cloak to stay warm anyway."

Sylvanas narrows her eyes at her mate. "Not funny." She told him elbowing his ribs at the same time.

"Ow! Okay, I apologise." He kissed his wife on the temple, looking up at Darion who was leading the way up to the Frozen Throne. "We may need to be ready for a fight."

"I know." Sylvanas whispered to him. "That's why I brought my bow and swords."

"Good. I hope we don't, but we may need it."

"Hurry up." Darion said, standing at the top of the steps leading to the Frozen Throne.

Once they reached the top of the steps, both Athrodar and Sylvanas took a deep breath. "This is going to be one of two things. A quick conversation, or a drawn out one." Athrodar muttered.

"Why are we here?" Sylvanas yelled, her voice carrying towards Bolvar who sat on the Frozen Throne. "You have plenty of Death Knights out there who can do whatever it is you want of us."

Bolvar stood up, picking up his hammer and walking down the steps of the Frozen Throne. "You are here, because I have an offer for your Royal Magister. But she would never willingly come here if asked, so you two are the next best thing."

Athrodar frowned. "We are here because you want to speak to Thal'ena? I don't -"

"There is a sword - an artifact." Bolvar told them. "It will only respond to a mage, one who is capable of wielding it." The Lich King stood in front of both of them, his blue eyes piercing what little defense they had. "You are both here because she will only believe what I say is true if you see it and survive."

"But why her?" Athrodar asked. "Why not Rhonin or Jaina or Khadgar? Why Thal'ena?"

"Because it responds the most to someone of a fiery nature. This artifact will also greatly boost the wielder's ability to control fire and we both know what she can do when fueled with rage." Bolvar looked over to Sylvanas who remained unconvinced. "You want to see it, don't you?"

"It wouldn't hurt." Sylvanas told him. "After all, this is why we are here, right?" She looked over to Athrodar. "Unless there's something else?"

"There is something else, isn't there?" Athrodar now asked, looking over to Bolvar who looked directly back at him.

"There is something else, yes. A weapon that can be forged from the shard of Frostmourne." Bolvar's eyes pierced into Athrodar's soul. "Something that only someone close to Arthas could take up."

Sylvanas began to laugh at the claim. "He would never go near Frostmourne, nor whatever is left of that blade now at he is alive and has a family." She said, looking over to Athrodar who was actually thinking about it. "R-right?" She asked him, a little nervous now that he began to think about the offer.

"It would give you the power to defeat the Legion." Bolvar said, stepping closer to Athrodar.

"Get back!" Sylvanas yelled, pulling out one of her swords and pointing it to the Lich King. "Don't you even try to win him over. I will kill you before you taint him once more."

Athrodar shook his head to clear his mind, looking over to Bolvar. "Thanks, but I'll pass. Show us this weapon and we will get Thal'ena to come here. With guards, so you don't try to make her your Blood-Queen."

"Very well." Bolvar said, turning to walk back up to his throne. "You will find it in the Crimson Wing. Whatever is left of it from when you all came here to kill Arthas."

Athrodar took hold of Sylvanas' hand, leading her towards the Crimson Wing of Icecrown Citadel. "Do you know where you are going?" She asked him once they were alone, being mindful of the group of Death Knights tailing them as protection from the Scourge. "Athrodar?"

"Let's just get this over with and return home to Dalaran. I hate it here and coming back, especially to the Crimson Wing, is going to bring back bad memories." Athrodar looked over to Sylvanas who frowned at him. "I watched Lana'thel die there and going back... I just want this over with quickly."

"Then we best get moving." Sylvanas told him, holding onto his hand tightly as they walked the long, cold corridors of Icecrown Citadel.

* * *

Victoria paced back and forth outside of the Violet Citadel after her Royal Magister was taken from her by her parents, who had yet to explain where they were all day. "So you know nothing of this meeting?" She asked Hroki who stood outside with her, watching him shake his head.

"I don't, no. Sorry, your Majesty, I wish I could be of more use." Hroki watched her pace back and forth. "It must be important."

"So important they don't invite their daughter to join them?" Victoria shook her head. "No, they're discussing something that has to do with me, I know it."

Athrodar sat at the table beside Rhonin, both of them listening to Sylvanas tell Thal'ena about the artifact in Icecrown CItadel. "He says it will greatly enhance a mage's fire spells. And he has asked for you personally... after asking for us to go to him and discuss it of course."

"You told him I'm not interested, right?" Thal'ena asked, looking over to the one person she knows would back her up in her hesitation to accept anything the Lich King has to offer. "Athrodar... You told him I didn't want it, right?"

Athrodar looked down at the table. "It could help us defeat the Legion." He said quietly, hearing Thal'ena's scoff.

"Fuck me... You're joking, right? After all these years we've been away from him, the years we served under _him._ You're telling me you're considering working with that monster again?" Thal'ena shook her head, looking at Sylvanas who wasn't arguing with her husband. "You should both know what he put us through!"

Athrodar looked up at her. "It's not the same Lich King. Bolvar seems to have more control -"

"It's still the Lich King!" Thal'ena roared. "He killed my mother, twice!" She yelled at Athrodar who looked away. "Or did you forget, hm? It doesn't matter who wears that helm, they're all the same."

Sylvanas saw the Magister was becoming increasingly upset, placing her hands on her arms and keeping her in place whilst looking into her eyes. "Hey, listen to me. We will go with you to make sure you're safe. It's a powerful weapon, Thal'ena. One that will help protect our planet from the Burning Legion." She moved one hand up to her cheek and smiled at the Magister when she looked at her. "He chose you for a reason and we agree. You have so much potential, this weapon was made for you."

Rhonin sat forward on his chair. "Actually it was made for Anasterian and then his son, Kael'thas took it and reforged it after his father's death." He sat back when Sylvanas looked over to him, a little annoyed he brought that up. "You're right, it doesn't matter."

Sylvanas looked back to Thal'ena who was still unsure of this whole thing. "I will keep you company, okay? We both will. If at the end of this it means we will be much more powerful as a force because you're wielding Felo'melorn, then isn't it worth that?"

"You're really making it difficult to say no..." Thal'ena muttered. "I do want to wield a lot more power against the Burning Legion, but if that means I have to go back to the one place I never want to step foot in again, do I do it?"

"Hey," Athrodar said, making his way over to the Magister, "You know we love you. You've helped our daughter so much over the years, that's a loyalty that is hard to come by and with Sera no longer with us, she looks to you even more. We don't want Victoria to be alone in Stormwind, so listen to us when we say we will make sure you're safe if you accept his offer."

Thal'ena stepped forward and hugged Athrodar. "Are you coming with me?" She asked, her voice muffled in his chest. "I don't want to go back without someone who has been there before."

"I'll go with you." Athrodar told her looking over to Sylvanas who placed her hand on Thal'ena's back. "We both will."

"Okay." Thal'ena said, looking up at Athrodar and then over to Sylvanas. "I will go with you."


	54. Chapter 54

**Red Haze**

"Where is she?"

Sylvanas held up her hands to her daughter who looked angered at their use of her Royal Magister without asking. "She is resting." Sylvanas told her.

"Why did you take her to Northrend? What is this I am hearing about working with the Lich King?" Victoria now asked, narrowing her eyes at her mother who sighed and closed her eyes.

"I.. Your father was summoned there. We spoke to the Lich King and he offered to give Thal'ena a powerful artifact that could help us defeat the Burning Legion."

Victoria's eyes widened in surprise, but not for the reason Sylvanas thought. "You worked with _him_!?" She said, her tone bordering on shock than anything else. "How... How could you? You know he murdered my parents! He killed you and Athrodar, Thal'ena and Sera.. He..." Victoria looked away from Sylvanas. "How could you..." She muttered, hugging herself and turning away from Sylvanas.

"Honey..." Sylvanas whispered, placing a hand on her shoulder and feeling a sting in her heart when Victoria rolled her shoulder to remove her hand from her shoulder. "Victoria.."

"No, mother. I don't want to be near you right now." Victoria told her, walking away from Sylvanas. "Or father. I.. I can't even look at you right now. You made a deal with the Lich King who killed you and those we love."

"I'm sorry." Sylvanas said, her ears drooping in sadness. "I just... It was a way to make sure we win this war. I want you and your brother and sisters to be safe... I didn't think it would -"

Victoria laughed to cut her off. "You're right, you didn't think. You didn't think what this would mean to me, or anyone else who was affected by the Lich King. How you got Thal'ena to go along with this I will never know. But I can guarantee that she accepted it just to be more powerful and hated every second of it." She looked over to Sylvanas, tears in her eyes and hints of hatred and anger. "I can't even call you mother. Someone who loved me as such would never make a deal with the man who killed my parents when I was a child."

"Victoria, honey... You don't mean that." Sylvanas whispered, extending out her hand to place it on her face.

"Get away from me!" She roared, spinning on her heel and running away from Sylvanas, tears flowing down her cheek the entire time she ran from her.

* * *

Athrodar smiled at Tanadia who slept peacefully in the infirmary bed she had been in since their last battle. "How has she been?" He asked, looking over to Thalina who was laying beside their daughter.

"She has been asking about you, but mostly she wants to get out of bed and be with her sisters." Thalina stroked her daughter's hair lightly, smiling when Tanadia held herself closer to her mother in her sleep. "Where have you been?" She asked him.

"It's a long story..." Athrodar said, not wanting to go into more detail than that. "And one I'm not too proud of."

Thalina placed her hand on his arm. "Don't worry, you don't have to tell me." She looked over to the entrance of the triage center, spotting Sylvanas looking lost and hurt. "I think you might be needed." She whispered, nodding over to the elf.

Athrodar looked over to his wife, standing up from the bed and making his way over to her. "Hey, are you okay?"

Sylvanas looked up at Athrodar and had tears in her eyes the second she saw him, burying her head in his chest and crying before she could stop herself. "I want to go home..." She muttered, holding onto him. "I... I don't want to be here anymore."

Athrodar walked towards an empty room, tilting Sylvanas' head up from his chest so they were looking at each other. "Hey... What happened?"

"We should have just stayed away from Icecrown. Victoria knows and she... she.." Sylvanas closed her eyes, shaking her head. "She hates us."

"Who, Victoria?" Athrodar asked, watching Sylvanas nod and bury her head in his chest again. "Because we went to Icecrown?" He now asked for clarification, getting a nod in return.

"She doesn't even see us as her parents, not after making a deal with Bolvar." Sylvanas muttered, holding onto Athrodar tightly.

"It was hardly a deal, he gave us Felo'melorn if we took Thal'ena there to wield it. The only thing he gets out of this is us defeating the Legion." Athrodar kissed the top of Sylvanas' head. "She knows that, right?"

"Yes... I told her that." Sylvanas said.

Athrodar kissed the top of her head again, holding onto her tightly too. "Okay. I say we give her some space. If that means we have to return home in the meantime, so be it." He looked down at the top of her head, smiling as she kept her face buried in his chest. "You know it's Hallow's End soon. Our daughter is looking forward to it and I'm sure Tahnir is coming home for a few days to celebrate it with us."

Sylvanas sniffed and looked up at her husband. "I.. I would like that."

"I thought you would." Athrodar said with a smile, leaning down and kissing her on the lips. "Now let's get back to Tanadia and Thalina, I'm sure they would like to spend some time back in Stormwind and away from the front lines so to speak."

Sylvanas nodded and buried her face back into his chest. "As long as I get to spend the next couple of days in bed, trying to keep my mind off what happened with Victoria, I'm fine with them coming back with us."

Athrodar rolled his eyes when he began to walk back into the main infirmary room where his daughter was staying, having Sylvanas hold onto him tightly. "You know we both know you're going to do the opposite of what you said right? You'll think about Victoria the entire time and it will kill you." He pulled her off his chest and kneeled down in front of her, taking both her hands in his. "But I will try my best to distract you for as long as possible, my love. I don't want you to make yourself upset the entire time we spend in Stormwind."

"Then take me back to our home in Quel'thalas." She told him quietly, looking him in the eyes and trying to hold back any more tears as she wanted to get back to her strong demeanor.

"You know we can't go back yet. Not until it's fully repaired from the raid." Athrodar kissed the top of both her hands, squeezing them lightly. "But I will keep you up to date on what is happening, okay? When it's repaired, we can go back."

"Good.." Sylvanas muttered, remaining silent for the next hour until they had all returned to Stormwind and she was holding onto her baby Cedani.

"Is mama okay?" Alleria asked, looking up at her father who held onto her hand.

Athrodar looked over to Sylvanas and saw her attention was fixed on the baby in her arms. "She will be, little one." He told his daughter, picking her up carrying her on his shoulders. "Now, who wants to go find a costume for Hallow's End?"

"Me!" Alleria yelled, giggling when Athrodar kept her sitting on his shoulders whilst he ran out the keep.

Sylvanas watched them both disappear out Stormwind Keep and returned her focus back to Cedani who slept in her arms. "You will never hurt me, will you?" She whispered to her, letting a lone tear drop down from her cheek and land on the back of her hand that stroked her child's cheek. "You'll look after your mother forever, won't you?"

* * *

Victoria sat on the side of her bed, with her swords, sharpening them with a whetstone. "Stop looking at me like that, Thal'ena." She said, not looking up at her Royal Magister who was saddened that Sylvanas, Athrodar and family had all left Dalaran so early, despite slowly tipping the scales of this war in their favor. "I have said all I have to say on this topic, so drop it."

"Yes, my Lady." Thal'ena said quietly, bowing her head at the Queen and staying at the closed door.

Victoria sighed and placed her sword down beside her. "Out with it. I'm not going through the rest of this war with a Royal Magister being distracted by my family issues."

"Don't be so hard on them, my Lady." Thal'ena told her Queen. "Forgive them, they only done what they thought was -"

"Save it. I have heard it all before." Victoria looked over to Thal'ena who looked down at the floor. "They only took the deal to boost our power, they listened to the Lich King because he offered them... Sorry, offered _you_ a weapon that will help us defeat the Legion." Victoria looked back to her sword and picked it up. "I know what happened and just talking about it angers me. So stop telling me to forgive them. I will forgive them when I feel like they are worthy of my forgiveness."

Thal'ena bowed her head and placed her hand on the door handle. "I'll take my leave, my Lady."

"Fine."

The Royal Magister left the Queen's room and let out a long exhale, slowly sinking down onto the floor. "Fuck sake..." She whispered to herself, wiping her eyes with the palm of her hand. "I should never have accepted the offer..."

Cyndia looked over to the Royal Magister who threw Felo'melorn across the hallway she sat in, moving out the way of the blade. "Bad day?"

Thal'ena pulled her cloak up and over her head, hiding her entire face save for her mouth. "You have no idea..." She pulled back her cloak a little to look at the new Ranger General of Stormwind. "Despite what she says, our Queen isn't over the loss of Sera, her grandmother or Snow. I think her holding this grudge on her parents and me for working with the Lich King to get that," Thal'ena pointed at the blade she had thrown across the room, "is because she wants to be angry at the Legion but has nobody here to channel that anger to... Until this morning."

Cyndia sat down beside the Royal Magister and pat her on her leg. "Listen, I think you taking up that blade is awesome. If I had a sword that boosted my ranger technique... Well then I'd be a poor ranger because I need to use a bow." She laughed when Thal'ena laughed, elbowing her lightly. "Just... Stay on her good side, okay? She's a good kid but is going through a lot for someone who has already lost her birth parents, her best friend, grandmother and arguably the first true love of her life."

Thal'ena sighed and nodded her head slowly. "I know... I just don't like seeing her in this way."

Victoria sat on the opposite side of the door, hugging herself and listening in to their conversation.

"I know you love her and I'm fairly certain she loves you." Cyndia rubbed her shoulder for comfort. "I heard she even said so to you, but wants to wait until this war is over and for everything to settle down before she attempts another relationship." The General smiled when Thal'ena leaned her head on her shoulder. "Just give her time, support her and she will warm up to you again. Like we've both said, she's going through a lot right now."

Victoria heard them get up and begin to leave, standing up and opening the door just watch them turn the corner at the end of the corridor. Her heart sinking and chest tightening as she began to let their words sink in. She did miss Sera, Snow and Illana. More than she thought she could and it was affecting her a lot. Deep down she wasn't angry with her parents for what they did, she actually understood why they went to Icecrown, but right now that was all clouded by recent events and deaths.

Just thinking about her parents going to Icecrown begins to anger her once more and she looks down at the necklace she wore, one Athrodar gave her and pulled on it to rip it off her neck, throwing it across the room and watching the sapphire jewel fly across the room and hit the wall, landing on the floor. Not feeling satisfied with such minor destruction, if it can be called that, she began to throw other things across the room, even going as far as to pulling down a bookcase just to create as much mess and noise as possible, hoping it would be a good source to let out her anger.

Exhausted, she sat down on the side of her bed and began to cry into her hands. "You had to just go to Icecrown..." She muttered, looking at the once clean and tidy room that was now completely destroyed, letting out a small laugh. "If you could see me now, you'd be so angry." Her smiled dropped the moment she said that and looked back to where she threw the necklace, noticing the bookcase she pulled down was on top of it.

"No, no, no!" She said in a panic, pushing the bookcase away and looking down at the shattered jewel in her necklace. "No!"

Defeated, she laid down on the floor and kept the necklace in her open palm, staring at it as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Athrodar planted several kisses up and down Sylvanas' shoulder and neck as they both laid in bed, the latter staring out the window and at the stars. "She will forgive us soon." Athrodar told her, knowing that's where her mind was as she continued to gaze out the window. "And who knows, a day away from us might just be all it takes."

"Are you saying we are an annoyance to her?" Sylvanas asked, keeping her voice low and placing her hand over the top of his.

"Not at all." Athrodar told her, kissing her on the cheek. "I'm saying I'm the annoyance, but you know how to put up with me."

Sylvanas giggled when Athrodar continued his assault on her neck and face with his lips. "Are you trying to distract me?"

"Not at all." He whispered, tightening his hold around her a little and feeling her heartbeat quicken at his closeness as well as his continued assault of her face. "Why, is it working?"

"Almost." Sylvanas purred. "But I think something else on my body needs your lips."

Athrodar sat up and looked down at his wife, seeing the need in her eyes. "Say no more." He whispered, submerging himself under the covers and making his way between her legs.

Sylvanas bit her bottom lip, smiling and letting out a small moan the second Athrodar began kissing her thighs, making his way up to her womanhood and giving it one long lick. "Oh.. baby, I never get tired of this." She heard Athrodar chuckle under the covers, rubbing his back with one foot and placing her hands on her breasts, squeezing them to give herself more pleasure, though Athrodar's tongue was more than enough. She let out another moan and arched her back. "Yes... Keep it up, baby."

"Mama?" Alleria asked, rubbing her eyes and standing at the doorway, not yet noticing what was going on before her.

"Honey, honey.. Stop." Sylvanas said, placing her hand on Athrodar's head.

"Why, want to savor the moment?" Athrodar asked, remaining hidden under the covers.

"No... Our daughter is standing at the door." Sylvanas told him, looking over to her daughter. "What's wrong, pumpkin?"

"I don't feel well.." She muttered, rubbing her eye with the same hand still and looking at her parents who were both now laying in bed and visible to her.

"Come here, baby." Sylvanas said, stretching out her arms. "Come sleep with mommy and daddy tonight. We can make you feel better."

Athrodar helped their daughter climb up onto the bed and placed her between them, smiling when Sylvanas began to place a torrent of kisses on their daughter's belly. "Mommy's kisses always make me feel better when I'm unwell." He told her, hearing her giggle.

"Come on, give me a hug." Sylvanas said, laying down beside her daughter and closing her eyes when Alleria hugged her. She began stroking her hair and heard her yawn. "You'll be safe with us, honey."

"Are you happy now mama?" Alleria asked in hushed tones, making Sylvanas widen her eyes and look over to Athrodar.

She saw him nod before he kissed the back of their daughter's head. "Yes I am." Sylvanas said, holding onto her daughter tightly. "Especially with you and daddy around. Your baby sister and big brother make me happy too, but I am really happy when you are here, honey."

"I love you, mommy." Alleria said softly, closing her eyes and cuddling up to Sylvanas who had the biggest smile of the day on her face.

"I love you too, baby." She whispered, looking over to Athrodar who was grinning at her. "So what did you do all day?" She asked when she heard Alleria's steady breathing, knowing she had fallen asleep."

"Went to the Park, watched her run around, pet the cat that is always there. Then she begged me to get her something sweet and I couldn't say no to those beautiful eyes that you both share."

Sylvanas raised an eyebrow. "Even when talking about our daughter and your day with her, you still manage to flatter me. Colour me impressed."

"I would do a lot more, but we were interrupted as you know." Athrodar looks down at the _interruption _laying between them. "But I'm not complaining, just seeing her cuddled up to her mother is adorable."

"She is where I want to be though..." Sylvanas muttered. "Maybe I could -"

Her sentence was interrupted by Alleria holding onto her mother's arm tightly. "Apparently not." Athrodar mused, placing a gentle hand on his wife's cheek. "If you get lonely over there, I will gladly help you move in the middle of us. But she will be a completely different obstacle entirely."

"That is true." Sylvanas closed her eyes and kept her daughter close. "Might as well sleep with her in my arms. This doesn't happen as often anymore."

"She's growing up." Athrodar told her, trying to get as close to two of the most important people in his life. "Goodnight, my love." Athrodar whispered.

"Goodnight, my heart." Sylvanas whispered back to him.

* * *

Thal'ena went to her Queen's chambers in the Violet Hold and slowly opened the door, starting her morning routine of waking up Victoria before heading to the main hall. "My La... Oh wow, what happened here?"

Victoria had slept on the floor all night, keeping her now broken necklace in her hands and not caring that she had dried tears on her face. "I fucked up, Thal'ena..." She said, staring at the shattered sapphire in her necklace. "Dad got me this before they even adopted me... I've had it for as long as I've known them and now..." She looked up at Thal'ena from the corner of her eye for a second just to look at her Royal Magister, looking back at the jewel in her hand. "Now I've destroyed the best gift Athrodar gave me... Outside of a family."

Thal'ena sat on the edge of the Queen's bed, looking down at her as she continued to lay on the floor. "Do you need anything, my Lady? I can go to Stormwind and get Athrodar, or I can make you the biggest breakfast ever... with some help. Anything you need, my Lady, I am here."

Victoria wiped her eyes with her free hand, keeping the broken necklace in the other. "You sound more like a servant or a messenger than a Royal Magister."

Thal'ena placed her head on her fist and looked down at the Queen with a smirk. "I can be anything you want too, my Lady. I just don't want to see you upset."

"I know, Thal'ena." Victoria muttered, patting the floor in front of her. "Lay down with me, I don't want to be alone today."

"I could get your parents for you, my Lady. I'm sure they -"

"No." Victoria said, interrupted her Royal Magister's train of thought. "I'm not ready to talk to them yet. I just want to be around friends, not family right now."

"Okay, my Lady." Thal'ena smiled at her, looking down at the necklace in her hand and stroking a finger over the top of it. "So what happened to it?"

"I was angry and upset." Victoria told her. "I threw it at the wall, then trashed this room as you can see."

Thal'ena nodded and smiled. "I can see that. You practically threw or pulled down everything in here except your bed."

"Well I needed somewhere to sleep... At least that was my train of thought until I found my necklace." Victoria eyed the jewellery in her hand once more. "I pulled down the bookcase and forgot about where I had threw this. When I remembered, I pushed the bookcase away and found... this."

"My Lady..." Thal'ena whispered, placing a hand on her cheek. "Let me go see if I can find a jewelcrafter, I'm sure they can repair this."

Victoria sighed. "Fine... But I don't expect anything good to come of it. It's pretty much destroyed."

Thal'ena stroked her Queen's hair and smiled at her, taking the necklace out of her hand. "Trust me, my Lady. I will stop at nothing to get this repaired for you."

"Thank you, Thal'ena." Victoria said, sitting up when her Royal Magister made her way to the door. "For everything."

She smiled and bowed her head to her Queen. "It's nothing, my Lady."


	55. Chapter 55

**Hallow's End**

"What are you wearing?" Sylvanas asked, looking her husband up and down and raising an eyebrow at him as he stood in front of her in a strange Hallow's End costume.

"What? I'm a Twilight's Hammer Cultist." Athrodar said, holding up a purple book he held beside him. "See?"

Sylvanas just looked at the midnight purple dress he wore and the matching linen hood. "Right... I remain unconvinced of that."

"Rude." Athrodar said, looking down at the book in his hand. "I thought it was a good costume." He looked back over to who wife who rolled her eyes. "Okay, what are you going to wear then?"

"Ahh, see now that's for you to find out. But it will involve my cute little baby." Sylvanas looked over to Cedani who remained asleep in her cot beside their bed. "Of course, when she's awake. I don't want to disturb her before then."

"So you're going to cheat and use her cuteness to get people to love your costume?" Athrodar asked, shaking his head.

"Exactly that, yes." Sylvanas grinned and walked over to him, swaying her hips and placing a gentle hand on his cheek. "Why, jealous I came up with it first?"

"No..." Athrodar muttered, looking away. "I'm jealous that I didn't get to have a group costume with you and our daughter did. We could have been slave and master."

Sylvanas raised an eyebrow at his choice of group costume. "Really? You'd be comfortable with me being the master? What about your ego?"

"Oh ha ha." Athrodar leaned forward and kissed his wife on the lips. "Fine, what about we go as the default, King and Queen?"

Sylvanas giggled at his new request, stroking his cheek with her hand. "My, you really don't like that I have come up with a two person costume and you're not involved." She kissed him on the cheek, walking her fingers down his neck and across his shoulder, walking around him and leaning close to his ear. "Tough, but I promise you will love it."

He didn't know what it was, but something about her whispering in his ear and her light touches sent chills down his spine with every action. "You are extra seductive today, aren't you?" He whispered, glancing over to Sylvanas who pressed her chest against his arm.

"I am." She whispered, kissing and biting the bottom of his ear. "With the outfit I have chosen and knowing that everyone will be dressing up has got me excited." She wrapped her arms around his neck, still standing by his side and planting a long kiss on his cheek. "Now, with that being said, I am going to need you to leave me alone until tonight. I don't want you spoiling my costume for, well, you."

"Fine." Athrodar moved an arm around her waist and pulled her into his embrace, giving her a long, wet kiss on the lips. "That's just to get me through the day." He whispered, pressing his forehead against hers and practically hearing her coo at the kiss. "And apparently you."

She bit her bottom lip and looked into his eyes. "I love you."

"I love you too." Athrodar whispered back, kissing her again before making his way towards the door. "I'll leave you alone now. I think Tanadia will want to show me her costume at some point, she seems excited about it."

"Okay. Just so I know where to find you, I take it you will be at the Cathedral?"

Athrodar nodded. "Correct."

Sylvanas smiled. "Good. Now go, I want it to be a surprise."

* * *

"Are you not dressing up this year?"

Thalina shook her head, looking over to her daughter who was fixing her costume. "I'm afraid not. Since I have been in Dalaran for the past couple of weeks, things have really been backed up here." She sighed and looked at the stack of reports she brought with her, if only to spend some time with her daughter before she left to spend time with her other family. "You look really beautiful, my little flower."

Tanadia's face began to go red, looking over to her mother who smiled at her. "Really?" She asked, spinning in a circle. "Are my wings okay?"

"Here, let me help." Thalina said, standing up and making sure her wings were on straight. "I should probably call you my little angel now, since you're dressed like that."

Tanadia's smile practically lit up the room, turning back around and hugging her mother tightly. "I still say you should come out with us tonight, mama. Let your hair down a little, spend time with the rest of our family. Maybe even drink a little and see where the night takes you."

Thalina raised an eyebrow at her daughter. "Are you suggesting I get drunk and hook up with some random guy?"

"Well.. Maybe not some _random_ guy." She winked at her mother. "Sylvanas and Athrodar have a rather open marriage... And by that I mean -"

"I know what you mean!" Thalina said, cutting her off. "They like to bring a third party to their bedroom. I know that and I think most people know that." She shook her head at Tanadia who began to make her face of innocence that always seemed to get her out of trouble. "Don't give me that look... You know I can't be mad at you when you do that."

"Why do you think I do it then?" She said sweetly, twisting left and right and giving her mother a big set of puppy eyes. "I'm sowwy."

Thalina groaned and shook her head. "Damn you, Tanadia."

The young priestess smiled and hugged her mother. "Will you at least try to come out with us? You don't have to dress up if you don't want to."

"I'll think about it, okay?" Thalina kissed her daughter's cheek. "Your father should be here soon. He will bring Alleria with him so you have your little angel too."

"I'm excited." Tanadia said. "Alleria really wants to dress up like and angel with me." She looked down at herself. "I hope papa knows to not have her dress as revealing as this..."

Thalina rolled her eyes. "Uhuh... I still can't believe you talked me into letting you go out like that. With your legs on show, nothing covering your midriff or cleavage..."

"I'm old enough to dress like this, mom... Besides, Anduin really liked it."

"Still dating him I see." Thalina mused, smirking at her daughter. "Does your father know he picked the outfit out for you?"

Tanadia looked away from her mother. "N-no... I know he will find a way to torture Anduin if he knew, so I won't say anything to him."

"Anything to who?" Athrodar asked, standing at the entrance to the Cathedral.

"Nothing!" Tanadia quickly said, running to her father and hugging him tightly. "Love you, papa."

"I love you too." Athrodar said, hugging his daughter and trying to avoid her wings. In the meantime, her looked over to Thalina who rolled her eyes, shaking his head a little and squeezing his daughter. "I have someone for you." He said, pulling back and looking back to Alleria who looked like a miniature version of Tanadia. "She was very excited about this."

Thalina watched her daughter kneel down and hug her younger sister, smiling when she saw how happy the little elf was. "She looks so cute with her little wings."

Athrodar chuckled and nodded his head in agreement, standing beside Thalina and watching both his daughters talk to each other, but mostly looking at their costumes. "She does. But I have to ask, why is _our_ daughter dressed like that? She's practically in a bra, mini skirt and sandals."

Thalina held up her hand. "Don't even ask. I didn't approve of it, but she was adamant she is old enough to wear what she wants."

Athrodar frowned at the choice of costume Tanadia wore, slowly raising an eyebrow and looking over to Thalina. "It was Anduin wasn't it?"

Thalina smirked and leaned closer to Athrodar. "Yes, but act like you don't know. She was too scared to tell you he picked it out."

"Oh I am going to make sure I have words with him." Athrodar said, smiling when Thalina laughed.

"Please don't torture him. Our little girl seems to really like him." Thalina looked Athrodar up and down, trying to pin point what he was dressed as. "Twilight Hammer?" She asked.

"Yes! Thank you." Athrodar shook his head. "Sylvanas thought it was a terrible costume, she didn't even know what it was."

"I can see that. It's not the best." Thalina told him, grinning when she heard him sigh. "I'm sorry, but it is just a purple robe and hood."

"I also have a book..." Athrodar muttered, looking down at Thalina who continued to laugh, hugging his arm tightly. "Are you not dressing up?"

"I am busy I'm afraid. A lot of paperwork to go through after I spent two weeks in Dalaran." She looked up and narrowed her eyes at him. "No thanks to you."

"What? You wanted to help look for our daughter and we found her." Athrodar smiled at Tanadia who looked over to her parents. "I am glad we did find her. She is turning into a beautiful young woman who will be the future of our family." He hugged his daughter when she walked towards him, kissing her on the cheek. "Ready to go?" He asked, watching her smile light up her face.

"I am, papa." She said, taking hold of Alleria's hand and walking out the Cathedral with her.

"I suppose I'll see you later, if you're not joining us." Athrodar said, looking back to Thalina.

She smiled at him. "I'll think about it."

"Well, if you do change your mind, we'll be in Stormwind Keep with the other nobles who are celebrating." He walked out the Cathedral, just stopped by the door and turning back to look at her once more. "I hope you do join us, Thal. I don't want you to miss out on the fun."

"I'll think about it." She repeated, waving him off with a smile before feeling the hole in her heart she had tried to fill over the years and now hating that it had opened up once again after spending two weeks near Athrodar and how friendly he has been to her. "Damn you..." She muttered, closing her eyes and trying to calm herself down.

* * *

Victoria rode out to Suramar to meet up with the Nightborne who were waiting for reinforcements. She stopped just on the outskirts of Suramar where she met up with Liadrin who was riding in the opposite direction. "Where are you going?" The Queen asked, looking at the paladin.

"It's Hallow's End and the Death Knights of Acherus have decided to attack Light's Hope Chapel. So I am riding back to Dalaran as quickly as I can to get a portal back there and deal with those bastards." Liadrin looked Victoria up and down. "What about you, why are you coming here. Without your family and on Hallow's End?"

"Long story, but it also involves Death Knights." Victoria looked back at the small group of rangers with her, not many staying around as they also wanted to celebrate Hallow's End. "Long story short, I am not on speaking terms with my parents right now. That's all I'm going to say on this matter."

"O-okay." Liadrin saw Victoria was greatly angered by the topic already, bowing her head to the Queen of Stormwind. "I need to get going, but Thalyssra will be of great help and guidance in this land. Speak to her as soon as you arrive and she will get you up to date on what you need to do."

"Thanks, Liadrin." Victoria said, kicking her horse into moving once more and being followed by her small group of rangers.

They rode on for an hour before coming across a small camp of Nightborne, being stopped by Thalyssra who made her way to Victoria. "You must be the Queen we have heard about."

Victoria climbed down from her horse, smiling at the Nightborne who stood much higher than her, close to what Sera's height stood at. "I take it aunty Liadrin has spoken about me."

"Aunty? She never mentioned that, though she did mention a lot about your family."

Victoria rolled her eyes. "Of course she did. Let me guess, most of it being about my sister Tanadia?"

Thalyssra smiled and nodded. "She did speak highly of this priestess, yes. Your family must be something if she spoke so much about them. But she is your aunt, so should have expected as much."

Victoria laughed lightly, rubbing the back of her neck. "Yes, well... She not _really _my aunt. We just call her that because she if a very close family friend."

"Ahh, I see." Thalyssra led Victoria further into their camp, making her way into a hidden cave with the Queen. "I have to say, I was expecting more of your family to arrive. I am looking forward to meet Athrodar and Sylvanas, from what Liadrin has told me, they were difficult to be around at first but are actually very good fighters."

Victoria smiled a little, but looked away from Thalyssra and wiped the smile off her face. "They are.. something. I don't know how much she has told you about them, but they aren't as strong as they were, but are still very strong when they fight together."

Thalyssra looked over to the Queen who looked anything but happy when speaking about her parents. "Something on your mind? I can see this topic about your parents has troubled you."

"It's just... we're not talking to each other at the moment. My choice, but only because they have done something I can't forgive them for." Victoria looked over to the Nightborne who frowned at her. "They worked with the enemy, an enemy that killed my birth parents. So right now I am punishing them by not talking to them."

"I can understand that. I know I would be angered if a friend began to work with my enemy." Thalyssra, looking around the cave, locked eyes with the few unfortunate nightborne who were struggling to stay awake. "I need your help, Victoria. My people have a mana addiction I am trying to cure."

"So what do you need?" Victoria asked, just happy the subject has changed.

"There are mana crystals nearby. I would have gotten them myself by many of my people still working for the Grand Magistrix have ceased them and captured those who have tried to rebel." The First Arcanist conjured a map of the area in front of them. "I will help you get the mana crystals, but we will also need to free the rebels."

"No problem." Victoria said, looking at the map and knowing she had no chance of understanding it on first looks alone. "How many are we expecting to fight?"

"Maybe double the rangers you have here." Thalyssra said, looking at the rangers behind the Queen. "Are they good fighters?"

"The best." Victoria reassured her. "We've trained them to fight in all types of climates and environments." She looked back at her rangers. "We should be good as long as the plan is good."

"Then let's get planning." Thalyssra said with a smile.

* * *

Athrodar stood in the throne room with Tanadia and Alleria, all three of them waiting for Sylvanas to arrive with Cedani in their group outfit. "Do we know what they are going to be?" Tanadia asked, standing beside her father patiently and looking up at him.

"Sylvanas has decided it would be best for it to be a surprise. She said I will like the costume, so I am excited to see what it is." Athrodar held onto his daughter's hand when he felt it brush against his. "So tell me. Did you pick this outfit out or am I going to have to have words with Anduin again?"

Tanadia sighed and looked away from Athrodar who had a grin on his face. "Mother told you, didn't she?"

"Not at all. I know what boys his age want and you just want to make people happy." Athrodar glanced down at his daughter who kept hold of his hand but used her other arm to try and cover herself up. "And your mother told me."

"I knew it! Sometimes she -"

Tanadia's rant was cut off when Sylvanas and Cedani entered the throne room, making Athrodar's jaw drop a little at their costumes. "Wow..." He muttered, walking towards his wife and looking at their daughter in her arms. "I take it you're a Dragon Queen and this is your little dragon whelp?"

Sylvanas stood before Athrodar in a similar attire to what Alexstraza and Ysera. She wore a similar sheer cloak, a headpiece that had horns on them, tattered leggings, a breastplate and dragonkin jewellery. Whilst their daughter wore something similar, though much less revealing and a lot more adorable. "By the look on your face as you explore my entire body with your eyes, I think you love this outfit. Just as I had predicted."

Athrodar placed a hand on her waist, grinning at the bare skin that was just as soft as he had remembered, despite only being away from her for half a day. "You have no idea what I want to do to you right now whilst you're wearing that."

"Oh I can imagine." Sylvanas said with a smirk. "How about you tell me one thing you would do to me and I'll keep that in mind."

Athrodar leaned closer to his wife and whispered in her ear. "I want to take you to bed, pin you down and make an entire brood with my Dragon Queen, give her many new eggs and expand our dragonflight tenfold in one night."

Sylvanas bit her bottom lip. "That would mean a lot of sex in one night." She whispered to him, winking seductively at the same time. "I look forward to that if you're willing to go through with it."

"I would go through with it right here, right now if we weren't surrounded by our family." Athrodar told her, making her giggle.

"Can we go?" Tanadia asked, holding Alleria's hand now and knowing her little sister was getting bored just as much as she was. "Alleria is getting bored and so am I."

Sylvanas smiled and kissed Athrodar on the cheek. "Come on, my love. Let's go trick or treating with our children."

"Is Tahnir not coming?" Tanadia asked when they set off from the throne room.

"He has decided to stay in Quel'Thalas with his new friends and spend Hallow's End with them." Sylvanas told her, shrugging her shoulders. "He told me he is enjoying his time there and misses us, but he sends us letters and we remain in contact with him through them."

"At least he is having a good time, that's all that matters." Tanadia said, smiling and keeping Alleria close to her.

The five of them, along with many citizens of Stormwind, went door to door around the city, trick or treating for a few hours until they decided to return to Stormwind Keep. Both Alleria and Cedani got many compliments on their costumes, though only Alleria knew what was happening as Cedani was still too young to even understand that she was in a costume, let alone trick or treating. Tanadia on the other hand got more than enough attention from the human men near her age and many a lot older.

This did anger Athrodar as it had many men flirting with his daughter, but it just made Sylvanas laugh as she saw he was becoming more and more protective of her as the night went on. "Daddy bear doesn't like it when someone tries to talk to his daughter." Sylvanas mused, chuckling when she heard him grumble to himself.

"It's bad enough I have to deal with Anduin and yet still allow him to keep seeing her as it would make Tanadia hate me if I said he couldn't." He glanced over to Sylvanas who had a permanent grin on her face. "Stop smiling."

"I can't. It makes me happy knowing this is how you'll act when it comes to our daughters. Protecting them from anyone who tries to win their heart and take them away from you." She reached for his hand and took hold of it when she brushed her fingers over his. "It makes me love you even more than I currently do, knowing that you're going to be so protective over our daughters and making sure they aren't won over by the first Prince Charming."

"Unlike their mother." Athrodar whispered, chuckling when she gasped. "I'm happy you did, clearly all of my showboating paid off in those early years."

Sylvanas scoffed. "I'd almost believe that if you could remember those years."

"Ouch, I'm hurt." Athrodar said sarcastically, kissing her on the temple. "Let's get back to Stormwind Keep where the nobles have probably already started the party."

And they did, arriving in Stormwind Keep whilst the Hallow's End party was already underway. Tanadia joined Anduin when she found in him the Throne Room whilst Sylvanas and Athrodar put their two tired daughters to bed, both of them kissing each one on the forehead before tucking them in and doing the same for the other. By they time they reached the Throne Room, Tanadia had disappeared into the crowds of people. "Looks like you can't protect her now." Sylvanas whispered teasingly, taking hold of his hand and dragging him nearer the middle of the throne room. "You're just going to have to be with me all night now."

"Not the worst plan in the world." Athrodar told her, both of them standing close together that they could feel each other's breaths caressing their skin. "To be so close to my wife who has dressed as a Dragon Queen. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

"Very good answer, my love. Maybe we will return to our bedroom and make a brood of whelps tonight." Sylvanas said with a smirk, leaning forward and kissing him before resting her head on his chest, pressing her ear to his heart. "Slow dance with me." She whispered. "I just want you to hold me for the rest of the night."

Athrodar smiled and moved his arms around Sylvanas, pressing his cheek to the top of he head and making sure to avoid the novelty horns on her head. "I will gladly hold you for the rest of the night, my love."

"Thank you." She whispered, closing her eyes and listening to his heartbeat, syncing her own with his so they could both beat as one. "Thalina not coming tonight?" Sylvanas asked, having not seen or heard her all day.

"It doesn't look like it, no." Athrodar told her. "She said she was busy with some mage work or something. Apparently it piled up whilst we were in Dalaran."

"Damn.. I wanted to reward her for being such a close family friend." Sylvanas muttered, looking up at her husband. "I was going to give her you. I know she still has an immense amount of feelings for you, my love and I wanted to reward her by handing her you for the night. Of course I would be there to enjoy the fun, but yes, I would have given her you."

"And If I refused?" Athrodar asked, looking his wife in the eyes.

"I'd understand, but I know you wouldn't. Especially if it gives you the chance to be with your wife and former lover in the same bed." Sylvanas got up onto hit tiptoes and kissed him lightly. "Think about it, my love."

The two of them stayed practically stuck together throughout most of the night, neither of them wanting to part from being so close together. That was until they were interrupted near final hours of the party by someone they had expected to stay away for the remainder of the night. "Hi."

Sylvanas looked over to the voice first, grinning when she laid eyes on Thalina who had decided to dress up too, even if it was for the final hours of the party before everyone turned in for the night. "Hello Thal." She said, beckoning her over. "Come here."

"Don't do this, my love." Athrodar whispered to her. "It may make her feelings so much stronger that it might affect her badly."

"Don't worry about it." Sylvanas told him. "I know what I am doing."

Thalina made her way towards them, wearing a black cocktail dress, cat ears and what looked to be a tail too. "I didn't know what to wear." She told them, feeling her cheeks get warmer the closer she stood to Athrodar whilst wearing her outfit. "I hope this is okay."

Sylvanas smirked at how shy Thalina had become all of a sudden, knowing it might be easier than she thought to give the Magister her gift. "You look beautiful, Thal." She whispered in her ear, planting a kiss on her cheek which stunned the Magister.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Thalina asked, looking at Sylvanas with wide eyes.

"I have a gift for you." Sylvanas purred, nodding over to Athrodar who stood there awkwardly. "You have been such a close and loyal friend to our family, Thal. And I know how much you still love him. So for tonight, and many more nights if I am in a good mood, you can sleep with him."

Thalina's face went bright red, looking over to Athrodar who looked unsure about this still. "A-are you joking?" She asked, glancing over to Sylvanas.

"Not at all, dear." Sylvanas moved her arms around her from behind, planting another kiss on her cheek. "The only catch is that I will join you every time. He is still my husband after all and I crave what you crave from him." Sylvanas walked around the Magister and cupped her face in her hands. "What do you say? Do you want to join us tonight, Thal? Or will you turn my gift away?"

"Don't I get a say in this?" Athrodar asked.

"No." Sylvanas told him, turning back to face Thalina. "Well? I will be joining you like I said, but you get the first ride."

"O-okay." Thalina said, walking over to Athrodar. "Are you okay with this?" She whispered to him.

"Only if you are, Thal." He whispered back, watching her smile a little.

"I am." She whispered again, getting up onto hit tiptoes and kissing him on the lips, missing the feel of them against hers after decades since the last time they kissed.

"Good." Sylvanas said, taking hold of Thalina's hand. "Come with me my dear. Let's go have some fun."

Athrodar followed them to their bedroom, being stopped by Sylvanas the moment he began to climb into bed. "What?"

Sylvanas grinned and span on her heel to face Thalina who was stroking the bed sheets with her hand. "Strip for us, Thal. I want to see what rare treasure we have in our bedroom."

Thalina hesitated at first, looking at Sylvanas and Athrodar with reddened cheeks. "O-okay." She said quietly, taking off her heels first and then her cat ears.

"Let me help you." Sylvanas made her way to the Magister and placed her hands on her shoulders. "Your skin is soft, Thal." She whispered in her ear, slowly pulling down the Magister's dress until it sat on her hips. "Wearing nothing underneath the dress, very bold." Sylvanas said, brushing a couple of fingers over Thalina's nipples and grinning when she heard her suck in her breath. "And you're excited. This is the first time you've been naked in front of him since... Icecrown?"

Athrodar walked towards Thalina who was covering herself up, placing his hands on her face and leaning down to kiss her, moving his hands down to her arms and moving them away from her breasts. She was smaller than Sylvanas in every way, but he didn't care. She was still as beautiful as he had remembered. "Don't be shy, Thal. You're too beautiful to be shy, especially around the two of us."

Sylvanas made her way beside Athrodar and looked at the Magister. "You hide it really well, Thal, but he is right. You are beautiful." Sylvanas cupped Thalina's face in her hands and gave her a long kiss on the lips, surprising the Magister as she hadn't kissed another woman for decades but then quickly melted into the kiss. "Let's get that dress off you. I want to see all of you, Thal."

Whilst Sylvanas helped Thalina undress, Athrodar done the same whilst watching Sylvanas push the Magister onto the bed and climb on top of her. "Don't start without me." He said, making his way towards them when he took off his clothes and saw the lust in Thalina's eyes when she looked at him. "I know how much you've missed me, Thal. I'm going to make sure I make up for those many missed years."

Sylvanas stroked Thalina's hair, sitting behind her and keeping her head on her lap. "Make her remember tonight, my love." She said, looking up at Athrodar. "But don't finish inside her." She said, winking at him. "I want to make our brood like you promised."

Athrodar slowly pushed himself inside Thalina, feeling her walls tighten around him immediately. "Wow... It's almost like you have saved yourself for me, Thal." He whispered, leaning down and kissing her.

"I more or less have." She purred, being kissed by Sylvanas shortly after and feeling her tongue part her lips. "Mmmm.. My Lady, let me kiss something else." She offered, making Sylvanas raise an eyebrow at her.

"You are not shy anymore, are you?" She said with an amused grin. "Okay then." She agreed, pulling down her leggings. "Turn her over so she's on her stomach. Make it more comfortable for everyone."

Thalina flipped over onto her stomach and quickly buried her head between Sylvanas' legs, making her let out a soft moan and moaning into her folds when Athrodar pushed himself back inside the Magister.

The three of them all made sure they were panting, sweating and in euphoric bliss for the next two hours with Sylvanas collapsing on top of Athrodar and chuckling lightly when she saw Thalina had fallen asleep beside them. "I hope you enjoyed your present, my love." She purred, pressing her ear to his chest. "I know I enjoyed the many presents you left inside me."

Athrodar chuckled too and held Sylvanas tightly in his arms. At least, as tightly as he could as almost all of his energy had been spent. "I know you enjoyed more than what I left inside you. You couldn't keep your hands or lips off her."

"She's just so beautiful and petite. I found it all so cute that I had to make sure she was well looked after." Sylvanas looked up at Athrodar when she felt something poke her belly. "Did I get you going again?" She said with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"You did, but I think I am too tired to go again."

Sylvanas giggled and nodded her head. "So am I." She whispered, though she still took hold of him and slowly pushed her husband inside her. "I'll do it all, just slowly."

Athrodar closed his eyes and smiled. "Deal."


	56. Chapter 56

**An Old Friends Request**

Victoria looked at the many new rebels they had freed, slowly nodding her head and smiling to herself at the rate at which this group of Nightborne are growing. "This is impressive." She said, glancing over to Thalyssra who was helping a couple of the Nightborne with their addictions. "How quickly everyone has come here to fight against your former leader."

Thalyssra smiled and looked over to Victoria. "She is working with the enemy after all, those who aren't blinded by their greed know what she has done and is doing." The First Arcanist made her way over to Victoria and her rangers. "And with your help, you have made it safer for them to come to us."

"I'm sure Liadrin had a hand in it too." Victoria said, looking back at her group of rangers. "We only done what was asked of us."

The First Arcanist smiled at her. "We didn't think we would get this far, so your help and Liadrin's is most welcome. I hope Khadgar has received my message and has gathered more help for us. As much as what you have done is appreciated, we need a lot more warriors to take the city back."

"I understand, I will send a runner to Dalaran to get an update soon. First we need to discuss what our next step is."

Thalyssra frowned and opened up a map of Suramar City with her magic, pointing to a specific area on the map. "We need to get inside the city and find out what they are doing with the Legion."

"And how will we do that?" Victoria asked.

"I have a plan." Thalyssra said, beckoning over one of her Nightborne. "We have been working on a disguise, one that should get you into the city." Before Victoria got too excited, she held up her hand. "It's not a complete disguise though, the arcane sentinals that roam around the city will see through the disguise, so avoid them at all costs."

"It can never just be easy." Victoria muttered.

"And one more thing. Avoid the Grand Magistrix's elite guards and followers. They tend to thoroughly check their guests and it break the illusion that you will have." Thalyssra smiled a little at Victoria's sigh. "I would do this all myself, but they know who I am, I'm afraid."

Victoria just smiled at Thalyssra. "No, it's fine. I guess I'll try to make this work."

"Good, thank you again." Thalyssra said, handing Victoria the disguise. "Try not to raise too much suspicion either, though you'll probably blend in if you just act normally. I'm sure a Queen will fit in perfectly among them."

Victoria let out a nervous laugh. "Yes... I'm sure I would."

* * *

Athrodar woke up next to his wife and smiled at how close she was to him. From where he was laying, she was practically laying on top of him but he didn't care, not if he gets to hold her against him in the meantime.

The moment he wrapped his arms around her, he heard a small sigh coming from the other side of him, turning his head to look at the owner of the noise and remembering Thalina had joined them (finally in Sylvanas' mind) last night. His smile widened when he saw how at peace she was compared to whenever he looked at her before.

She used to look a little troubled, like something had upset her and she was trying her hardest to hide it. But now she was just happy and at peace, something he was slowly coming to realise was because she was with him and Sylvanas last night, though definitely because he was there more than his wife.

"She looks so peaceful." Sylvanas muttered, looking over to Thalina who even had a small smile on her face as she slept. "How are you feeling?" She asked, looking up to Athrodar.

"I'm fine. Happy actually, that we get to spend some time alone before our daughter runs in here to wake us up." Athrodar leaned down and kissed Sylvanas on the head, frowning when she moved away from him. "What?"

"How are you feeling." She repeated, glancing over to Thalina who remained asleep. "This is the first time you have been with her since your little adventures together before you were killed." She looked back to Athrodar. "Do you feel what you felt for her back then?"

"I will always have a place for her in my heart." He admitted, looking over to Thalina. "She's the mother of my first and a very close friend to our family. I want her to be safe like I want our family to be safe." His attention returned to Sylvanas who was watching Thalina sleep. "But she will never have the love I have for you. It's the harsh truth, but the truth nonetheless. You are the one I love more than anyone."

Sylvanas smiled and closed her eyes, pressing her ear to his chest. "It's nice to know you still fall for my trap of getting you to say how much you love me."

"I don't know about falling for it, maybe I just enjoy telling you how much I love you." Athrodar told her, pressing his lips to her temple and then cuddling up to her. "Because when I do, you always hold yourself as close to me as possible and I get to hold onto my beautiful wife just a bit longer."

Sylvanas laughed and continued to hold onto him. "Whatever, just hold me."

Athrodar did just that, though only for a handful of minutes until they living alarm clock came in to wake them up. "Mama!" Alleria yelled, giggling and running up to the bed before climbing on and parking herself between her parents.

Thalina woke up and stretched, looking over to Athrodar, Sylvanas and Alleria with a smile before closing her eyes again. Only when she opened her eyes seconds after, it was out of surprise as she jumped up to a sitting position and tried to hide herself the best she could with the bed sheets. "What we did... happened, right?"

Sylvanas grinned at her sudden turn of innocence compared to last night, planting a kiss on her daughter's cheek as she watched Thalina come to grips with what happened last night. "Oh it happened and you weren't nearly as embarrassed as you are now."

"I... I don't normally do this sort of thing." Thalina muttered, glancing over to Athrodar who was too busy entertaining Alleria. "I don't know what came over me."

Sylvanas reached over the bed and placed a hand on Thalina's knee, watching her jump a little. "Relax. You didn't drink as far as we know and you didn't take anything, so you know we took care of you." She climbed over Athrodar and sat between him and Thalina, moving an arm around the Magister. "We made sure to make you feel as comfortable as possible, you know that right?"

Thalina nodded, staying under Sylvanas arm and leaning against her. "I know that. I just..." She sighed and shook her head. "Never mind, it's stupid."

Sylvanas stroked her cheek with her thumb, turning her head to get the Magister to look at her. "Tell me." She whispered, smiling at the embarrassed elf.

"I was hoping the next time I was with Athrodar would be... special." She looked up at Sylvanas and sighed, looking away shortly after. "It's stupid, I know. He's your husband and he clearly loves you deeply. It was just something I dreamed about."

Sylvanas frowned at her. "And last night wasn't special?" As soon as she asked she smiled and nodded her head slowly. "Ah, it's because I was there."

Thalina nodded a little, but looked Sylvanas in the eyes. "It's not that you were bad, my Lady. You were anything but bad, you made me feel wanted last night and I can see why there are so many rumors about you two. I feel like a great weight was lifted off my shoulders last night but..."

"You weren't alone with Athrodar." Sylvanas said, watching the Magister nod her head again and leaning closer to plant a soft kiss on her temple. "I am going to tell you something, okay? Don't get upset but I have a small proposition."

Thalina frowned at Sylvanas. "What is it?"

Sylvanas smiled a little at the Magister, squeezing the smaller elf a little too. "I want you to come to me if ever you want to join us in here again, okay?" She saw the Magister nod slowly, knowing she wasn't entirely sure on her answer. "I also know you want to be alone with him in here, which I'm afraid won't happen. We have only one rule when it comes to our bedroom, which is if any of us want to sleep with someone else, they will be joined by the other one."

Thalina's expression saddened a little, looking over to Athrodar who was pretending he couldn't hear them as he focused on entertaining their daughter. "Is it always women?" She asked, looking back at Sylvanas.

Sylvanas laughed lightly now, glancing over to Athrodar. "Yes, but for good reason. I know he gets jealous whenever I even mention bringing another guy in here, which I find very cute. I don't ever intend to bring another man in here as I have too much fun with the women we both choose. So to answer your question, it is always women."

Thalina looked over to Athrodar again, but focused on Alleria this time. "Hey, do you want me to feed her? Leave you two alone a little whilst longer? I know how much I missed laying in bed for at least an hour longer when I had Tanadia."

Sylvanas smiled and kissed Thalina on the temple again. "That would be wonderful. Thank you, Thal."

Athrodar watched Thalina climb out of bed and take Alleria off him, taking her to the mess hall to get some breakfast. "Did you really have to tell her she can never be alone with me? I think she knew deep down it wouldn't happen."

Sylvanas climbed onto Athrodar's lap and placed her finger on his lips. "Shh. We're alone now and won't be interrupted for at least twenty minutes." She replaced her finger with her lips, holding herself as close to him as possible whilst she slipped her tongue passed his lips. "I have something to tell you and I didn't want to say it in front of Thal."

Athrodar tilted his head a little. "What is it?"

Sylvanas pressed her head against Athrodar's, looking into his eyes and smiling. "It was an unsafe day yesterday and you practically flooded me last night." She laughed a little when Athrodar did. "I don't know what I think about it yet, but after last night, I might become pregnant and a part of me doesn't want to be. But there's another part of me that's excited to make our family bigger."

Athrodar stared at her, a little lost for words. "A-are you serious?" He asked quietly, watching her nod her head slowly. "We could have a fifth?"

Sylvanas smiled and nodded her head more enthusiastically. "Yes. We could have our fifth child. A little too soon after Cedani, sure. But we both really wanted a big family. I know I said I didn't when we first thought about having a family, but with every little elf we have, the more I want to increase our family." She closed her eyes and buried her head in his neck, feeling him wrap his arms around her. "I love you."

"I love you too, my heart." Athrodar whispered. "My Queen." He said in an equally low voice, planting a kiss on her head. "I want nothing more than to have a huge family, though I don't want you to give birth every year." He felt her pull back and looked down at her. "Maybe two more, including this possible one, then we wait until all our little ones have grown up and began making names for themselves."

Although his plan is one she agreed with, Sylvanas still laughed at it. "You know we said that after Cedani was born. But I agree with you, two more and we stop for a while."

Athrodar laughed too and held onto his wife as she placed her ear on his chest. "Just two more." He whispered, confirming their plans that will probably change after a couple of years. "Can you do one thing for me whilst we're here until interrupted again?"

"Sure, what is it?" Sylvanas asked, keeping her ear pressed to his chest.

"Can you wear those dragon horns again?"

"Sure." Sylvanas said with a giggle, reaching for the dragon horns on the floor and picking them up, placing them on her head and smiling at her husband. "Better?"

Athrodar grinned at her. "There's my Dragon-Queen."

* * *

Tanadia sat on a bench in the Stormwind Keep gardens, holding onto her head and feeling groggy after a long night of drinking. She didn't remember much of the Hallow's End party they had, nor did she remember what she did. The only thing she knew was that she woke up in an empty bath, not even in her room in the Keep. She searched all the connecting rooms and found them all to be empty and stumbled out into the corridor and made her way outside to the gardens which is where she found herself now.

"I'm never drinking again..." She muttered to herself, holding onto her head as the hangover was getting the better of her.

"Ahh, I've had those." A voice said softly, the owner of it making their way towards the young priestess. "It passes. The worst part is throwing up."

"Oh Gods..." Tanadia moaned, looking up at the owner of the voice and seeing a smug looking Elaria standing over her. "I forgot about that."

"By the sounds of your response, I take it you haven't thrown up yet." Elaria looked around for something to hand the priestess for when she inevitably needs to vomit. "Here, come with me. I'll hold your hair when you do throw up."

"Thank you... Uh oh."

Elaria widened her eyes and quickly dragged the priestess into a nearby room, looking for something quick and grabbing a bucket as they found themselves in the cleaner's closet. "That was close." The Night Elf muttered, stroking her back whilst holding her hair. "

"Why are you here?" Tanadia asked, followed by throwing up into the bucket seconds later.

Elaria sighed, frowning at the back of the priestess' head. "I am here to see your father. It's been a month, maybe a bit longer since I spoke to him. It gave me some time to reflect and -" She patted Tanadia's back when she heard her throw up again, rolling her eyes at the priestess. "Titans, woman. How much did you drink?"

"Too much." Tanadia muttered, groaning whilst her head was in the bucket.

"I can see that..." Elaria said softly, continuing her reason for being here. "As I was saying, it gave me time to reflect and I was too harsh on him."

"You think?" Tanadia groaned, looking up at the Night Elf. "He was distraught shortly after you told him to fuck off."

Elaria raised an eyebrow at the priestess. "Since when did you use such language?"

"Since you upset my dad." Tanadia told her, laying down and pressing her cheek on the cold floor. "I don't know if Sylvanas will want to see you."

"Good, because I didn't come here to see her." Elaria took her cloak off and placed it over the priestess. "Rest here, I'll place something on the door handle to make sure nobody comes in here. I'm going to go find your father."

"Fine... Just let me rest." Tanadia muttered.

Elaria made her way to Athrodar's bedroom, hiding when Sylvanas walked out of the bedroom and quickly slipping inside before Athrodar could leave and closing the door behind her, locking herself inside with him. "Hi." She said when Athrodar looked at her. "We need to talk."

Athrodar looked at the door behind her, making his way to it and being stopped by Elaria who stood between him and the door. "The last time we spoke, you made it perfectly clear you didn't want to see me any more."

"I know..." Elaria mumbled, looking away from him and towards the floor. "It was a mistake, I was angry and I took it out on you."

"So why are you here?" Athrodar asked, stepping away from her. "And you better make it quick, Sylvanas will be asking questions on where I am any second now."

Elaria shrugged her shoulders. "I miss my brother." She saw him tilt her head and took a step towards him. "And I came to apologize. I know I blamed you for Sera's death when you had no part in it and held it against you when you said you wouldn't help me." She looked down at the daggers on her hip. "And Luna has been on my back since she returned to Dalaran about apologizing to you. I didn't want to listen but she was right."

Before Athrodar could respond, Sylvanas knocked on the door and tried to open it, finding it was locked from the inside. "What's going on, are you coming?" She tried to open the door again, frowning at the handle that barely moved. "Why is this door locked?"

"Tell her." Athrodar said, looking at Elaria who sighed.

"Tell me what? Who's in there with you?" Sylvanas pressed her ear to the door. "Open up, please."

Athrodar waited for Elaria to say something, sighing when she remained silent and moving to unlock the door, letting Sylvanas in and watching her immediately grab the sword on her back and place it against the Night Elf's throat, pinning her to the wall as well. "Let me explain!" Elaria said, keeping her eyes on the blade and not the fiery glare on Sylvanas' face.

"Make it quick." Sylvanas said, narrowing her eyes at the Night Elf. "And make it good."

"I came to apologize to Athrodar." Elaria took a quick glance at Sylvanas' glare and felt her heart quicken with slight panic. "And to you. I wasn't in the best place when I found out Sera died and I took it out on both of you, despite doing nothing wrong."

Sylvanas' glare softened a little, but she kept the Night Elf up against the wall and her sword across her throat. "Is that all? No... I don't think it is. Why else are you here?"

"I.. I don't feel comfortable right now with that blade across my throat." Elaria said, glancing over to Athrodar who was looking out the window to their balcony. "Athrodar please, she'll listen to you."

"I can think for myself." Sylvanas said through gritted teeth, pressing her sword a little harder against her neck and making the Night Elf bleed a little. "Speak now or really bloody my sword."

"Fine... Fine!" Elaria looked Sylvanas in the eyes. "I need your help. Actually we could use each other's help."

"Help with what?" Athrodar asked, turning around to look at Elaria.

"There's an Orc. He's basically running this whole invasion, at least in Suramar. And I know you all mean to attack there next." Elaria looked over to Athrodar who frowned at her. "There's something powerful he's hiding too. I don't know what it is, but we have spoken to the Demon Hunters that has been showing up and we all believe it's an ally."

"Who is it?" Sylvanas asked, keeping her sword pointed at Elaria's throat but no longer laying it across her throat.

Elaria looked at Athrodar and then over to Sylvanas. "We believe it's Illidan."

Sylvanas' blade dropped from Elaria's throat. "Are you serious?"

Elaria rubbed her hand across her throat, nodding her head. "I am. Our scouts have confirmed it, with the help of the Demon Hunters. He's in a similar prison to what they were in when the Wardens captured them."

"So what do you want from us?" Sylvanas asked, looking over to Athrodar who looked lost in thought. "And I hope you know asking for our help comes with a few extra attachments. Basically Thalina and Tanadia."

"Not Victoria?" Elaria asked, tilting her head a little and frowning when Sylvanas' expression turned from slight anger to sadness. "What happened?"

"She is angry at us for working with the Lich King to get Thal'ena a legendary blade that enhances her fire spells." Athrodar walked over to Sylvanas and placed his hands on her shoulders. "We all agreed it would better our fight against the Burning Legion, but Victoria... She only saw it as us working with Bolvar."

"Well, maybe she will talk to you soon." Elaria told them, eyeing Sylvanas up and down and slowly grinning when she saw how rushed her outfit was put on and comparing it to Athrodar who had no shirt on. "Did you guys have sex before I came in here?"

Sylvanas narrowed her eyes at the Night Elf. "Don't try to get close to me again. You hurt Athrodar and I hold onto grudges for a long time."

Athrodar placed a kiss on Sylvanas' check. "Wait for me in the throne room, I'll be two more minutes."

"Okay." She whispered, placing a kiss on his lips and leaving the bedroom.

"How long does she hold onto grudges?" Elaria asked him.

"Long enough." He said, placing a tunic on his torso. "I have to tell you something."

"What did you do now?"

"It's who I done." Athrodar told her, sighing at her when Elaria raised an eyebrow at him. "We brought Thalina back in here with us."

"Interesting... Did you get her pregnant?" Elaria asked, smirking at him.

"Gods no, I wouldn't be here if I did. Sylvanas would have skinned me if I got anyone else pregnant." He looked out the window and down at Stormwind below them. "I don't want to get anyone else pregnant anyway, unless you know... They pay handsomely... And to Sylvanas' price tag."

Elaria raised an eyebrow at him. "So if Luna ever wanted to have children again, we only have to pay Sylvanas a lot of gold to have you give us a child?"

"Why me?" Athrodar asked her. "Surely there are better options."

Elaria shrugged. "Why not. You seem to be very efficient with making babies."

"Thanks?" Athrodar picked up his belt and put it on, making sure to place his daggers on his belt as well as a few other items.

"Let's go to your wife before she does kill me." Elaria glanced over to Athrodar when she opened the door. "She still scares me when she's angry, after all these years."

"I don't think yelling at her husband for something that wasn't his fault and basically throwing him aside like he was nothing makes her any warmer to you." Athrodar walked passed Elaria and made his way to the throne room. "Maybe if this ally of yours is actually Illidan, Sylvanas might warm up to you a little more knowing we have a powerful ally with us."

"We have a plan already laid out, we just needed a few more good fighters who can sneak behind the demons to get to our prize." Elaria stopped walking when they entered the throne room, watching Athrodar and Sylvanas embrace and smiling to herself when she saw how happy they were, something she hadn't really noticed the many years they had spent together. To her, this was just something she was used to that she never really thought about it, but they had managed to remain happy for so long and just watching them smile the moment they see one another makes her smile too. "I have missed them." She said to herself, walking towards them.


	57. Chapter 57

**An Odd Dream**

Liadrin as well as many other leaders of Azeroth's factions, races and orders arrive in Suramar early in the morning, most of them introducing themselves to Thalyssra whilst Tyrande and Shandris kept to themselves. Victoria returned to a bloated camp after her quick surveillance mission, trying to find her way to the First Arcanist when she was stopped by Liadrin the moment the Paladin saw her. "How has it been since I left you here?" She asked, walking side by side with the Queen as they both began their long lap around the camp for some privacy.

"It's been okay. Rescued many Nightborne who were trying to escape, now I am surveying Suramar city along with my rangers to find a weakness we can exploit as well as trying to find a way into their city in a disguise." Victoria saw the Paladin nod and smiled at the action. "I know. Go back a decade and you would never have pinned me as the sneaking in and scouting type."

"I'll be honest, I thought your parents would have stayed in charge for many centuries before they were brought back to the living side. So no, I didn't see this life for you. But I did see happiness." Liadrin glanced over to Victoria who remained silent. "Forgive them, my Lady. I know what they did was morally grey, but it was for a good reason."

"And I just see it as them making a deal with the man who killed my parents, both birth and adopted." Victoria continued to walk around the camp, being followed by Liadrin who sighed a little. "I'll forgive them, just not now. Not whilst we still have a city to take."

Liadrin felt sorry for the Queen, not because her parents supposedly betrayed her, but because she was so blinded by her hate for the Lich King that she couldn't see the true nature of her parents' deal with Bolvar. "The Death Knights have been dealt with at Light's Hope. They tried to resurrect Tirion but I got there in time to force them away."

Victoria smiled. "Good." She stopped and looked at the Paladin who stood beside her. "Tanadia loved him like an uncle. She told me many stories of the times he got to teach her and her class. How he would talk about Athrodar and their campaign in Northrend."

"She did go on about him whenever the topic of Tirion came up." Liadrin smiled and looked down at the Ashbringer in her hands when she unsheathed it from her back. "I don't feel worthy of carrying such a blade, especially after a legendary Paladin died wielding it."

"If Tirion could chose anyone to wield Ashbringer after him, I am almost certain he would have chose you, Liadrin." Victoria placed a hand on her back and smiled at her, comforting the Paladin by rubbing her back. "And I would have agreed with him in a heartbeat."

"Thank you, my Lady." Liadrin said, bowing her head at the Queen. "That means a lot to me."

Victoria continued to smile. "Good. Now, I need to tell you everything I have found out about Suramar City whilst we continue to walk in circles around this camp."

Liadrin laughed and nodded her head. "Fire away."

* * *

"Aunty Luna!"

Athrodar looked over to Tanadia who ran towards the Draenei, hugging her tightly and smiling when Luna practically lifted her up when she hugged her back. "Hello little one." Luna whispered, kissing her on the cheek. "Titans, I've missed you and that smile."

"So what exactly is this plan?" Athrodar asked, climbing off the small boat they all sailed from Stormwind on, hiding in a far corner of Suramar that was rarely visited unless someone decided to go there. "None of us here blend in with the Nightborne."

"That's why we are using your daughter and every single leader on the other side of the city for our attack. Once they start their assault, we will sneak behind whilst the enemies focus is on them." Elaria pointed at the palace by the water. "Our target is up there. There's a platform that we will most likely be fighting the Orc Warlock on."

"Just one guy?" Sylvanas asked, standing beside Athrodar and looking over to Elaria.

"I suspect he will have company. Most likely demons and powerful ones at that, but nothing we should be worried about." Elaria looked back to Thalina who was talking to Luna and Tanadia. "She won't get distracted, right? After all, you both gave her the one thing she has wanted for years since the last time she had it." Elaria's focus went back to Athrodar. "You both gave her you."

Sylvanas moved one of her arms around Athrodar's, holding onto his hand tightly. "We only invited her to join us." She looked up at Athrodar when he was thinking about it. "Will you be distracted?" She asked in a quiet voice, hoping he wouldn't.

"I'll be fine." He told her, looking over to Thalina. "As will she. You did offer her a chance to join us whenever she so wished, as long as we were both there of course." His attention turned to Sylvanas who smiled and buried her head in his arm. "But first, we need to focus on this mission of ours, get back to our children and hopefully Victoria would have taken out her anger towards us on her enemies."

"I hope you're right." Sylvanas told him, hugging his arm just to feel as close to him as possible. "I want to hold her again, my love. I know this isn't the longest I have gone without hugging my daughter, but knowing she hates us just makes being away from her painful."

"Hey," Elaria said, interrupting them. "I can promise you she will be back in your arms." The Night Elf smiled at Sylvanas and Athrodar as they both looked over to her. "Trust me. I held a grudge against this guy for months and after only two weeks I missed having him around. She's been gone for how long now?"

"Almost three weeks." Sylvanas told her.

"Good, then she will be having doubts about staying angry with you two." Elaria shrugged at them, keeping her smile on her face. "She just needs to take out her anger on someone and you will see, she'll talk to you again when you next meet her. Just... Don't go hunting for her after we're finished here. Let her come to you, she may not be there instantly, but she will definitely come to you."

"I hope you're right too." Sylvanas said, looking over to Suramar City. "So do we just wait now until they start the assault?"

Elaria nodded. "Pretty much, yeah. I will send a couple of scouts in there to make sure the patrols are sticking to schedule, but other than that, we just go over the plan a few times to make sure we all know what we're doing before the assault begins."

Athrodar watched their ships sail away and back to Stormwind. "And what happens if we get spotted by a patrol on the water."

Elaria shook her head. "They rarely send ships out. Unless your daughter and everyone over there has a fleet waiting, which judging by how empty the voyage over here was I don't think they do, we shouldn't run into any patrolling ships."

* * *

"How does it feel to use it?" Victoria asked her Royal Magister, looking at Felo'melorn in her hand.

"It is... Something special." Thal'ena said, smiling at her Queen. "Even as a San'layn, I didn't have this much power."

"Good. We might need it in the assault. I want you to stay with me throughout the attack in a few days time, that way we can both make sure we make it through this." Victoria walked up to her Royal Magister who sat on a nearby chair, placing a hand on her cheek whilst Thal'ena placed her sword on the desk next to her. "You're all I have left. Cyndia is going to be leading Stormwind's troops so I can't rely on her to be here with me."

Thal'ena stood up from her chair and stood inches from her Queen, taking a small step forward and hugging her friend. "Like I said the day we took Stormwind all those years ago, I will always be here for you, my Lady."

Victoria smiled and hugged her Royal Magister back, but the smile was quickly wiped away when she felt Thal'ena tighten her hug a little and was replaced by sadness. "My chest hurts.." She whispered to her. "Every time I think about them, my chest hurts so much."

"Are you still angry with them, my Lady?" Thal'ena asked, hearing Victoria quietly cry into her shoulder and tightening her hug around her a little more. "Shh, tell me what's wrong."

"I miss them... I'm scared they hate me now and I'm scared that I... I might die when we attack Suramar City and the last thing I said to my mom was that I hate her and don't want to see her." Victoria shook her head, holding onto the Royal Magister and her friend. "Make a portal for me... I want to go see them, I want to be held in my mother's arms again before the assault starts." She looked up at Thal'ena. "Make me a portal to Stormwind."

"Okay, my Lady." Thal'ena said, feeling warmth in her heart at the chance to have her Queen happy again. "Stand back."

Victoria stood there and waited for the portal to materialize, taking hold of her Royal Magister's hand and dragging her through it the moment the portal was in front of them. "Hurry up." She said, practically dragging the Royal Magister through her city. "They're in the Keep, I know it."

By the time they arrived in the throne room, Victoria began to frown and had small traces of panic begin to seep into her heart when she saw it was empty. What put her at ease a little was hearing Alleria giggle nearby and then running to find her with Scarlette and Raven in the next room, smiling and quickly making her way to her sister who smiled and hugged her tightly. "Hello little one." She whispered, kissing her sister on the cheek. "It's so good to see you again."

"Mama and Papa are gone." Alleria said to her sister, keeping her head on Victoria's shoulder and smiling at having her sister hug her, a sister she hadn't seen in almost a month. "They left with aunty Elaria."

"Do you know where they went?" Victoria asked, though the question was aimed at Scarlette and Raven who stood nearby.

"There were talks of them going to a place called Suramar." Scarlette said. "I heard them talking about freeing someone from an Orc leading many demons."

Victoria closed her eyes and sighed, frustrated and a little angry with herself that she made her mind up a little too late. "Thank you." She said, looking at Scarlette. "When did they leave?"

"A couple days ago, my Lady." Raven said. "You just missed them."

Victoria placed her sister back down on the floor and stroked her hair. "Thank you, again."

Thal'ena stood in the throne room, kicking her foot back and forth whilst waiting for her Queen who joined her with a less than happy look on her face. "What happened?"

"They're not here." Victoria told her, clenching and unclenching her fist in increasing anger. "They left two days ago to help Elaria on some mission in Suramar." She sighed and dropped her shoulders. "Just... Just make me a portal back, I'm going to say goodbye to my sister and tell her I'll be back in a few days."

Thal'ena nodded and began to open up a portal to their camp in Suramar, waiting beside it until Victoria came back to the throne room and followed her through it. "Now what, my Lady? Do we go look for them?"

"I'll send someone to find them." Victoria told her, making her way to her tent and collapsing down on the chair in her tent. "I'm sure they will be found before we attack Suramar City."

Thal'ena smiled at her Queen. "They will be."

* * *

Night had fallen in Suramar and Athrodar slept beside his wife, holding onto her as she cuddled up to him as close as she could whilst they slept. Like almost every night, he had expected to sleep beside and wake up with his wife in his arms, both alive and deeply in love. And this night wouldn't be any different in that matter. The only difference between this night and any other as of late was what happened whilst he slept. What he was dreaming about.

Normally it would be the usual, a future he wants for him and his family. His wife in general and the many things the do when they're alone and finally, he has the occasional bad dreams, sometimes ones that turn into nightmares and although they were rare, they still happened. That's what the one on this night was close to at the very least, a nightmare. Though it also felt real compared to his normal nightmares that consisted of bad memories of his past, the times he relived painful moments in his dreams and the occasional horrors he saw in the many battles he took part in.

His dream started off normally. It was just him and his family in Windrunner Village, going about their usual daily routine when they were at home, but this time something felt different. Athrodar left the kitchen for a second to ask what his son, Tahnir, wanted for lunch but found the room he last saw him in was empty. After exploring the rest of the house, he found he went from being surrounded by his family to being completely alone.

Fear started to set in when he couldn't find any traces of his family anywhere, not in the house, not outside in the village, not even at the beach where they had spent many hours being a typical happy family. Nothing. He returned home after looking in the surrounding forests and found two elven rangers standing in his living room that he had never seen before.

"Who are you, where is my family?" Athrodar asked, reaching for a nearby knife and pointing it towards the two rangers who both raised an eyebrow at him.

"What exactly are you going to do with that?" They asked, looking at the tiny blade.

"Trust me, I can do a lot of damage with this." He threatened, narrowing his eyes at them in anger. "Now tell me, where is my family!?"

Both rangers looked at each other and nodded, quickly making their way towards Athrodar and subduing him. "Let's get going, Dael'Thaelas will want to see him."

Athrodar heard the name of his great grandfather seconds before passing out, waking up in the middle of.. somewhere. A forest, that was for certain, but not one that was familiar to him. Though since forests involved trees, trees and more trees, that was a pretty obvious observation to make at first glance. "Where... Where am I?" He asked, blinking hard to try and focus his gaze. "Where... Where are my children. Where's my wife?" He looked around and saw many more rangers surrounding him now, as well as a handful of casters, though he wasn't sure what they specialized in at first glance.

"He's awake." One of them said. "Tell the Ranger Lord he's awake."

Athrodar tried to get out the chair, finding he was strapped to it by leather straps, pulling on the restraints and getting nowhere with them. "Why am I here?" He asked, looking around at the many elves that were ignoring him.

"Because you're the only one left." A voice said, one that sounded so familiar yet one Athrodar couldn't pinpoint.

"What do you mean?" Athrodar asked, trying to find the owner of the voice.

"Your father's dead, and his father is dead." The owner of the voice stood in front of Athrodar, looking down at him with judgemental eyes and a straight face, one that quickly turned into a sly grin. "But not your Great Grandfather. See, I faked my own death, to make sure the Sunblade name lived on. With my son's death and your betrayal alongside your father's betrayal, I knew I had to do whatever was necessary to make sure our family lived on." He beckoned over one of his rangers who quickly came to his attention. "Get me a chair and take off his restraints, we are going to have a long talk and I'd prefer it if we were both comfortable."

Athrodar rubbed his wrists and looked at his Great Grandfather who was given a bottle of Silvermoon's finest. "What do you want with me? I betrayed you and you haven't killed me right away, so you want something."

"Sharp as ever. I knew you were the right one to put my faith in." Dael'Thaelas took a sip of his wine, placing it down on the small table beside him. "As you can see, I still have followers and connections in Silvermoon."

"Followers? More like blind fanatics. I was told by my mother what you and my Grandfather did, how you destroyed our family reputation." Athrodar looked around the forest, still unsure on where he was. "I'm sure you were keeping tabs on me all these years, so you know about my little memory loss."

"Oh I'm fully aware. I'm also fully aware on your family you keep asking about, how much you love the former Ranger-General and the new Sunblades you have brought into this world." Dael'Thaelas raised his glass to his Great Grandson. "Even the bastard you had with that Magister. You broke the Sunblade curse by having a daughter, though you made her life very difficult as she won't inherit anything after I die. But you son, oh I will be keeping close tabs on you father's namesake."

"And what makes you think any of us will take whatever you leave us?"

Dael'Thaelas laughed and took another sip of his wine. "You probably won't, your wife will probably try to keep your family away from what I can give you all. But curiosity will set in soon after, especially when your children find out. They will want the money or power or maybe both." He shrugged his shoulders, beckoning over another ranger who quickly gave him something from their bag. "You will be waking up soon, the mage I sent to your tent, her spell will be falling off any minute now. I just want to show you this, so you know this was more than a dream. Or a nightmare, depending on how you feel after you wake up."

Athrodar was so confused, but looked at the jewellery in his Great Grandfather's hand, frowning as it looked so familiar. "What is it?" He asked, looking at the three snakes on the sigil of the necklace as well as the crossed swords behind them.

"What you need to look for. The moment you find this, you will know where to find me, boy. Then your future will become clear." Dael'Thaelas nodded over to what Athrodar presumed was his second in command. "Find this sigil, in a book or on a necklace and you will be told what to do next. This place isn't real, this part of the forest at least. I needed somewhere you would never know where to look." He smiled at his Great Grandson who just looked lost. "Good luck." He said, pushing his chair backwards and subsequently waking Athrodar up from his dream.

With a quick shot up to a sitting position, Athrodar placed his hand on his head and another on his heart, feeling it beat rapidly and looking down to his wife who was sound asleep next to him, though began to search for his presence with her hand. "Mmm.. What time is it?" She asked when she opened her eyes a little and saw him sitting up and looking down at her.

"It's still dark out." Athrodar whispered, looking around the tend and finding nothing out of the ordinary.

"Then lay back down, my love." Sylvanas cooed, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I want to hold onto my pillow a little longer."

Athrodar laid back down and moved his arms around his wife who quickly laid half her body on his chest, placing her ear to his heart. "I love you." He whispered in her ear, making her smile.

"Mmm... I love you too, baby." Sylvanas told him, drifting off to sleep in his arms like she always loved, with Athrodar following her shortly after.

Outside of the tent and their small camp, a blue glow lit up a small area just beside the camp. A mage looked at the image of an old, battle scarred elf who seemed to be waiting for her to talk. "I think he is ready, my Lord." The mage, watching the old elf smile at her.

"Good. Let's hope he listened to his dream." The elf said, looking at the mage who now smiled. "If not, we may have to force his hand to act on what I told him. Do you have the necklace with you?"

The mage nodded. "I do, my Lord. Just waiting on your orders to act."

"Drop the necklace where only he will see it two days after the battle in Suramar City. He won't stop this mission for some dream, but shortly after it he will start looking. This could help nudge him in the right direction." Dael'Thaelas looked over to his second in command who was standing somewhere the mage couldn't see. "Make sure he finds it when he's alone. I have to go now, we have much that needs to be done and so little time to do it."

The mage bowed her head to he image of Dael'Thaelas. "I won't let you down, my Lord."

He smiled at her commitment. "I know you won't. We all want to see my family name back in charge, this is the only way."


	58. Chapter 58

**The Climb**

The rest of their time in camp was uneventful with Elaria making sure her scouts were keeping up to date with the enemy patrols and to be certain that they won't be ambushed the day of the attack. "It's looking good." The Night Elf said, glancing over to Athrodar. "The attack will happen tonight so I need you to be ready. As well as Thal, your daughter and Sylvanas."

"They're ready. I just want to get this out of the way and gain a new ally in this war." Athrodar looked over to Suramar City. "Perhaps then I'll start to feel like we're doing something."

"I know what you mean. I hate fighting these demons, they just replace every single one we kill with two more." Elaria sighed, sitting down on a dead tree stump. "If it is Illidan, he basically started the demon hunters, so he will be key to taking them out."

Athrodar looked over to the tallest spire in Suramar City. "So you say that's where he will be?"

Elaria nodded. "Aye. We are certain there is only one way up there, which involves taking on Elisande's most elite fighters. Something we can't do with the numbers we have here."

"So what do you suggest?" Athrodar asked her, looking passed the Night Elf and spotting Sylvanas talking to Thalina and Tanadia.

"We climb." Elaria said, grinning at his raised eyebrow. "Those of us who can at least. Then when we get to the first window, or sixth, I'm not fussed, we tie a rope up to something sturdy and help the rest climb up to us. Then we repeat the process until we're practically at the top of the spire."

Athrodar rubbed the back of his neck, looking back at the spire. "It's a long climb."

"We'll be fine. This is nothing we haven't done before. It's just on a much bigger scale with a possible chance to get attacked by demons." Elaria shrugged, looking at the spire too. "It should be easy for us. I am not so sure about Thalina, Luna and Tanadia. They're not exactly built for climbing spires so they will be what the ropes are for."

Athrodar sighed. "I'll inform them of what you plan to do. I'm sure they will start kicking and screaming, because even I don't want to climb that." He let out a small laugh and shook his head. "Get ready to be bombarded with questions and maybe an insult or two from them."

Elaria rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll explain things to them should they come to me with questions."

"Good." Athrodar said, making his way to Sylvanas and hugging her from behind whilst she was in the middle of talking to Thalina and Tanadia still. "I have an update for you." He whispered, kissing her on the cheek and looking over to Thalina who looked embarrassed and averted her gaze. "We are grappling up the side of the spire."

"Fun." Sylvanas muttered sarcastically. "Her idea or yours?"

"Oh, hers for sure." Athrodar told her, kisses her cheek again and moving down to her neck. "She said if you have any questions about it, talk to her."

Thalina looked over to Tanadia who smiled at Athrodar. "What's on your mind, little one?" She asked the young priestess. "You look really happy."

"Watching dad and Sylvanas' faces light up when they're near each other makes me happy." She looked at her mother who smiled at her, but there was sadness behind the smile. "I know you're happy when he's around too, mom. I just wished you had someone who could always make you that happy."

"Baby..." Thalina muttered, taking hold of her daughter's hand. "Having you with me is all I need, little one. Just watching you grow up and making sure everyone around you is happy and well cared for is all I could ask for in a daughter." She hugged Tanadia. "I don't want anyone else in my life if that means I don't get to spend time with you."

Overhearing their conversation, Athrodar began to feel a little guilty about kissing Sylvanas in front of Thalina because of how she felt about him, but that guilt began to fade when Tanadia smiled up at him and hugged him tightly. "How are you, little one?" He asked, kissing the top of her head.

"I'm good. I just want you to be safe tonight, papa." She said, looking worried now when she looked up at him. "Promise me you won't take any unnecessary risks."

"I promise you, little one." He said, kissing her on the forehead. "I don't want to leave this world so early into your life. I want to watch you grow up and have a family of your own before those thoughts even come into my head." He began to smirk at her. "Of course, I'll have to make sure your husband is to my liking."

Tanadia slapped his chest. "Dad, stop!" She cried, having everyone around them chuckle. "You have to let me choose a someone I like."

"I've made my mind up." Athrodar said with a grin, teasing his daughter. "He has to be good enough to impress me before he even has a chance with start a family with you."

"But Anduin -"

"Ah, yes." Athrodar said with a big grin now, knowing his teasing of her was working. "He is yet to impress me. I may have to pay him another visit soon."

"No, papa!" Tanadia cried, holding onto his arm as he began to make his way to nowhere in particular, but made it look like he was going to find Anduin, who was not even in their camp. "Just give him a chance, papa. I like him a lot."

Sylvanas chuckled and held onto Athrodar's other arm. "Stop teasing her, my love."

"Fine, fine." Athrodar looked down at his daughter who held onto his other arm tightly to keep him stood still. "I'll stop teasing you."

"Thank you, papa." Tanadia said, having her face light up once more with a smile. "I love you."

"I love you too, little one." He whispered to her, kissing the top of her head again. "Now get ready, all of you. If you have any questions on what we are going to do, talk to Elaria. She is more than happy to tell you."

* * *

Thal'ena stood on the outskirts of their camp, half an hour before they planned to attack Suramar City. The leaders of every race had gathered in the command tent, talking over the plan with Khadgar and Thalyssra one more time before the attack which gave the Royal Magister time to reflect on what they were about to do. This was only her second siege and she still didn't know how she felt about going into the attack. Sure she was told to be beside her Queen throughout the whole thing, but she knew deep down she was going to lose someone tonight.

"You're feeling it to, right?" Cyndia asked, standing beside the Royal Magister. "We're going to lose a lot of lives taking this place. It better be worth it, otherwise the Burning Legion will just carve through this world like a hot knife through butter." The new Ranger-General looked at the Magister who let out a long exhale. "Have you heard anything from Athrodar or Sylvanas?"

Thal'ena shook her head. "Nothing at all. My scouts can't find them, they've checked all over this land and yet they have eluded us."

"Are we so certain they are here?" Cyndia now asked the Magister. "For all we know, they were never here to begin with."

"No, they are here. I know they are here." Thal'ena looked at Suramar City distance. "They have business here, I am certain of that. I just don't know what they are doing."

Cyndia smirked and looked at Suramar City too. "Knowing them both, it's got to be something important. Probably another world saving mission too, like somehow fighting the leader of the Burning Legion in a fight to the death."

Thal'ena laughed and nodded her head. "I wouldn't doubt it's something like that." She looked over her shoulder and towards the command tent, making sure Victoria hadn't left it early. "Our Queen wants nothing more than to be back in their arms."

"I suspected as much." Cyndia said quietly. "I heard rumors she had gone back to Stormwind with you, but I guess you've just confirmed that."

"She wanted to apologize to them, but she could only find her sister, Alleria." Thal'ena shrugged and looked back to the Ranger-General. "I'm sure we'll come across them if they have business in the city."

"As long as it's the same business we do." Cyndia told her.

Whilst they continued to wait on the outskirts of the camp for everyone to be ready, Victoria sat in the command tent, listening to Khadgar give them the run down on what was going to happen. "The spire in the middle of the city, the tallest one," he looked over to Thalyssra for confirmation and got a nod from her, "that will be where we find Elisande. Once she is dealt with, the rest of Suramar will fall to us in minutes."

"I want to keep civilian and unnecessary casualties to a minimum." Thalyssra told them. "We will need whoever is still alive at the end of this to help push back the Legion from the Broken Shore to the east."

"So you want us to fight your people, but kill none of them?" Tyrande asked, raising an eyebrow at the First Arcanist. "Looks like hiding away in your city and away from the rest of the world has slowed your mind."

Victoria sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "There's a time and a place to go at each other's throats."

"Strange. For the daughter of Sylvanas, you are rather tame when it comes to fights." Tyrande scoffed and looked over to her adoptive daughter, Shandris. "Pity, I would have liked to continue our close friendship between Stormwind and Darnassus. But since you are so soft towards the elves who left our kind to die, I can't see it lasting passed this war."

"You'd abandon relations with the Capital because of your petty rivalry between you and the First Arcanist. A rivalry that has lasted many millennia?" Victoria let out a small laugh and shook her head. "No, I don't think you would."

"Enough, both of you." Baine said, standing up from the chair he sat in. "We are here to fight Grand Magistrix Elisande and her loyalists, not each other."

Khadgar waved his hand in front of them and conjured an image of Suramar City. "As you all know, we are going to the middle of the city which is where their leaders will be placed. To get there however, will be a difficult task. Which is why we need a group to keep our backs protected whilst the majority of us push on."

"My rangers will stay behind." Victoria said, leaning back in her chair. "I'd rather have us stay back when we can deal with them at range or up close than any of you. Besides, I wouldn't want to take the final blow from the High Priestess' grasp."

Though she didn't show it, Tyrande had a grin behind her neutral expression. She was grateful for the Queen of Stormwind recognizing her need to kill the traitor of her people. "Good, that's sorted then." Tyrande said. "She will stay behind with her rangers whilst the rest of us carry on."

"Are you sure?" Liadrin asked, leaning closer to Victoria. "I could give you a handful of my paladin to help with -"

"No." Victoria shook her head and placed a hand over the Highlord's. "You need them more than I do. You're their Highlord and the Ashbringer, they would rather fight by your side than mine."

Liadrin smiled and squeezed the Queen's hand. "Okay. But you know where I am if you change your mind."

"I know." Victoria said, smiling back at her.

* * *

"So now we wait?" Sylvanas asked, standing beside Athrodar and taking hold of his hand, both of them looking out to Suramar City before them and waiting for the telltale sign of a siege.

"We do." Athrodar told her. "Elaria wants us to attack under the guise of the siege. She believes they won't see us until we're already in the spire."

"And what do you believe?" Sylvanas asked, turning to face her husband and placing a hand on his cheek. "Come on, we both know you always second guess her, so tell me."

Athrodar smirked and looked down at her hand he was holding. "You know me too well." He whispered, planting a kiss on the back of her hand and changing his smirk to a grin when she moved her free arm around his neck and pull him in for a long kiss. "Stay with me." He now whispered, pressing his forehead against hers. "We will need each other up there."

"Don't worry, my love." Sylvanas purred, stroking his cheek with her hand. "You know I will never leave your side."

"Good." Athrodar said, pulling her in for another kiss. "So have you thought about what we are doing after this?" He now asked, brushing a thumb across her bottom lip.

"If we are still without our daughter, if she is still angry at us, I want us to return home to our village. I know it still needs repairs, but we will make it work and help the builders with anything they need." She looked him in the eyes and saw he had already agreed with her without needing to say anything. "Good. I can see you agree with me."

"It's only going to get more dangerous from here, I would rather have the actual armies fight the Legion than to have us do more of this." They both hugged each other tightly with Sylvanas pressing her ear to his chest. "We've lost too many friends and family already and I don't want us to risk our lives doing dangerous missions like this."

"No, I know what you mean." Sylvanas looked back to their camp who were all standing nearby, waiting for the siege to start. "I'll keep in touch with my sister, see if she gets any updates on Alleria and Turalyon. Only then will I leave home, just to see my sister again."

The two of them stood as close together as possible, keeping their arms around each other and never wanting to let go. Unfortunately, that was when both of their ear's twitched at the faint sound of catapults in the distance, making them look over to Suramar City and focus their attention on the fiery boulders that flew threw the air and crash into buildings. "It's begun." Athrodar said, looking back at their camp and watching Elaria lead everyone towards the city.

"Follow me." She told them both, having them fall in behind her as they quickly made their way to the outskirts of the city. "I done some thinking and we are using crossbows to climb. There's a tower opposite that isn't as high, but it goes high enough for us to use it."

Athrodar frowned at the Night Elf. "How will crossbows help us climb?" He asked her as they made their way quickly and quietly through the back alleys of Suramar.

"We'll use the bolts. Shoot them into the side of the spire and climb on them." Elaria looked back at Athrodar when they stopped, waiting for a patrol to pass by. "It's easy, trust me." She whispered to him. "We may still need the ropes, but everyone should be able to climb it that way."

Athrodar looked back to his daughter who held onto her staff tightly. "Stay with me." He told her, placing a hand on her cheek. "Sylvanas, your mother and I will protect you."

Tanadia smiled up at her father. "And I'll protect you too, papa." She whispered to him, closing her eyes when he kissed her forehead.

"Good girl."

Elaria tapped Athrodar on the shoulder the moment the patrol was far enough away from them. "Let's move."

They made their way to the spire, at least as close as they could get without drawing attention to themselves. "Bows." Elaria whispered to them, having everyone pull out their bows and nock arrows in place. "On my signal."

Watching as a nearby patrol quickly made their way to the fighting to the west of the city, Elaria signalled everyone to let loose their arrows, killing the nearby guards standing at the front of the spire.

"Hide them." Elaria then commanded, signalling for eight of her scouts to come to her. "Make your way inside the other spire. Signal us when you're ready by firing the bolts into the wall."

They all bowed their heads to their Captain, leaving Elaria, Sylvanas, Athrodar, Thalina, Tanadia and Luna, as well as a handful of scouts, to wait for the signal. "I don't think I can climb that." The young priestess muttered, looking up to the top of the spire. "I'd rather fight my way through if I have to."

Sylvanas smirked and looked back at the priestess. "If that was an option, I think we would all be taking it." She reached her hand out to take hold of Tanadia's. "We'll be with you the entire way and if you're still not sure, we've brought ropes to help hoist anyone who needs it."

"Because that's not degrading..." She muttered.

"Relax." Thalina said, whispering to her daughter. "I'll be there with you. No way in hell am I climbing that."

Elaria chuckled and glanced over to Athrodar. "I have missed you lot."

Athrodar smirked and nodded his head slowly. "I think we've all missed you too. Maybe not Sylvanas, but the rest of us have."

Waiting for close to ten minutes, they all heard nothing but distant fighting as well as siege engines destroying parts of the city. That was until the first four bolts hit the spire in front of them, following by four more shortly after, making two points to climb up the tower. "I'll go first with one of my scouts." Elaria told them. "We'll make sure the coast is clear when we hit our first checkpoint."

Sylvanas stood beside Athrodar as they watched the Night Elf begin to climb up the side of the spire, taking hold of his hand. "We'll go next." She whispered to him, squeezing his hand tightly. "You know I've never liked heights."

"Oh I'm well aware." Athrodar said, chuckling lightly. "But don't worry, I'll make sure you don't fall."

Sylvanas smiled a little. "Thank you."

Once Elaria and her first scout was far up enough, Athrodar and Sylvanas began to climb up the side of the spire, the former making sure his wife didn't fall by being two bolts below her whilst climbing by her side. They made it halfway to the first checkpoint without much difficulty, that was until Sylvanas placed her boot on one of the bolts and had it snap from under her, forcing Athrodar to let go of the bolt in his right hand and reach across to grab Sylvanas to stop her from falling. "Are you okay?" He asked when she practically hugged the side of the spire the best she could once she got her balance again.

"I h-hate this..." She muttered, her voice wavering as the adrenaline of that moment and sheer terror raced through her veins.

"I've got you." Athrodar whispered to her, waiting for her to calm down. "Do you think you can make the rest? I'll be beside you the entire way."

Tanadia and Thalina looked on from below, standing beside Luna who had her mouth covered by her hands. "Thank the Titans papa was there." The young Priestess said.

"She would have fallen if he wasn't." Thalina said, looking over to Luna who looked terrified. "Luckily we're going by rope I guess."

Sylvanas took a deep breath and looked to her left slowly, looking into Athrodar's eyes and seeing both fear and confidence in them. "I... I'm ready." She said unconvincingly, but they both knew she had to climb the rest of the way up.

"I'll be with you every step of the way." Athrodar told her reassuringly. "Like I said, I won't let you fall."

The two of them continued to climb, taking it slowly but still trying to go as quickly as possible so the four remaining scouts still to climb could get to the first checkpoint without having to wait any longer than necessary. Once inside in spire and at the first checkpoint, Sylvanas rested against a wall and began to take deep breaths to calm herself down, looking up at Athrodar who crouched down in front of her. "How many more?" She asked him.

"Two more. The second checkpoint and then the floor just below our target. We are expecting them to put up a fight there however, so best be prepared for that."

Sylvanas nodded, leaning her head against Athrodar's shoulder when he sat down beside her. "I am definitely not doing something like this again."

"No, I shouldn't think you will." He kissed her temple, and moved an arm around her whilst Elaria and her scouts began to hoist up Luna. "Once the other three are here, we will have to be ready to climb again."

Sylvanas sighed and hugged him the best she could. "Same again, don't let me fall."

Athrodar shook his head. "I'd never let you fall." He whispered, tilting her head up and kissing her on the lips. "Especially when our family isn't big enough yet."

Sylvanas chuckled and rested her head on his shoulder once more. "One thing at a time, my love. When we're back at home and everything is rebuilt, then we will go about expanding our family just a little more."

"A couple of boys should do nicely." Athrodar told her. "Three of each."

Sylvanas chuckled again and nodded her head. "Sounds like a plan. Of course, I will make sure I am their favorite parent. I know both our daughters love you the most, which doesn't include Cedani by the way." She looked up at Athrodar who was feigning surprise. "Oh please, don't look at me like that. I know Victoria loves you more, even before our run in with Bolvar. And Alleria is still too young to hide her obvious bias towards you."

Athrodar chuckled and kissed Sylvanas on the temple. "Sounds like you're jealous that they love me more."

Sylvanas rolled her eyes, glancing over to Luna who was helped inside the spire by Elaria and two of her scouts. "Like I am jealous of you. Our son loves me more than he does you. He knows I am the better ranger and he wants to be like his mother, not like his second best ranger in the family father."

"Oh hoho, someone is clearly trying to provoke me into a challenge."

"I would never." Sylvanas purred, cupping Athrodar's face in her hands and kissing him on the lips. "But if it was a challenge, I would win because I'm better."

"As long as it's not climbing." Athrodar teased, getting punched in the arm by his wife. "Ow, sorry. Touchy subject still?"

"Yes." Sylvanas said, pouting and looking away. "I could have died." She began to smile when she felt Athrodar kiss her ear. "But you were there to catch me."

"Yes I was. And seeing as I was your knight in shining armour, I expect a very good reward when we return home." Athrodar suggested, with his tongue in his cheek.

Sylvanas chuckled and hugged his arm. "Okay, okay. I'll reward you when we get home."

"Good." Athrodar whispered, kissing the top of her head and waiting for the rest of their group to get inside the spire.


	59. Chapter 59

**Top of the Spire**

Victoria placed her rangers in position whilst looking back to Liadrin who stood nearby, waiting for the Queen to be ready to defend their backs. "Don't worry, Liadrin. We will protect you all." She said, smiling at the Paladin.

"I know." Liadrin said with a smile. "Tyrande and her Kaldorei are leading the charge as predicted. And with you back here, I think we will have a good time during this siege."

"Because I'm one less person for you to worry about?" Victoria asked, raising an eyebrow but smirking at the Paladin.

Liadrin laughed and shook her head. "Of course not, my Lady. I just mean that there's more opportunities to have fun in this siege with taking out our enemies whilst you are back here. I know you've improved a lot since Ironforge so I won't bet with you, but I get to use the Ashbringer against the demons they surely have in this city, so it will be fun."

Victoria smiled and hugged the Paladin. "Go enjoy yourself, Li Li. I'll take the boring but safe job for once, not giving it to anyone else this time around."

Liadrin laughed again and kissed Victoria on the cheek. "I will stay safe too. I won't go out of my way to get my blade wet, but I will try to slay as many demons for the both of us."

"Good. Go catch up to the rest of them." Victoria looked back to Thal'ena who was waiting with a couple of rangers for their next command. "I need to talk to my Magister."

Liadrin bowed her head and caught up with the rest of her paladins who were waiting for her, allowing Victoria to make her way to her Royal Magister and taking hold of her hands. "My Lady." Thal'ena whispered, smiling at her.

"Keep an eye out for anything suspicious, okay?" Victoria looked her Magister in the eyes. "I want us to be safe here, that nothing happens that will get us killed. I want to make sure I get to see my parents after this, once we find them of course."

"That shouldn't be too difficult, my Lady." Thal'ena said. "If they're here for the siege, we will come across them once it's over."

Victoria nodded and squeezed her Royal Magister's hands. "Good. Thank you for reassuring me on this. I just want the siege to go by quickly so I can apologize and hold them."

"Staying here, it will feel like a long siege, but we will be out of danger for the most part. If they have reinforcements then we have to fight, but it should be plain sailing from here on out, my Lady." Thal'ena looked around the Courtyard they all stood in. "It's a shame really, this is a beautiful place."

"Maybe we'll get to visit here again under better circumstances." Victoria told her, taking a leaf of a nearby plant into her hand and stroking her thumb across it. "After we've helped Thalyssra out and the Legion have been dealt with, we probably could visit here often. For both trade and leisure."

Thal'ena smiled at the idea of revisiting this place outside of war, but it was quickly wiped from her face when an explosion rang out from the top of the tallest spire in the city. "What the... We're not even near that." The Royal Magister said, looking over to Victoria.

"But my parents are..." Victoria muttered. "They're in this city, they're the only people who could be there whilst our armies are still trying to push further in."

Thal'ena frowned at her Queen. "Then what should we do? They may need our help."

Victoria shook her head. "No. We have to stay here. My parents can handle it themselves. They're far better together anyway, I just feel sorry for whoever stands in their way."

* * *

"Last one." Athrodar said, looking our the window and up to the top of the spire. "We're going to the room just below the roof, Elaria and her scout should already be fighting whoever is in there by the time we get up there." He pulled his head back in the window and looked at Sylvanas who was less confidant now than she was when they began their climb.

Sylvanas took a deep breath and looked out the window. "This better be a very important ally."

"I'm sure it is." Athrodar said, standing on the ledge of the window, offering his hand out to his wife. "Come on, baby. Last one, I will keep you safe again, you have my word."

"I am going to kill the Night Elf of yours." Sylvanas said, climbing out onto the edge of the spire and stopping herself from looking down. "When this is over, I am going to grab her by the neck and strangle the life out of her. Then I will cut off her head and stick it on a spike outside our home so everybody knows to _never_ make me climb up the side of a tall fucking building again."

Athrodar held in his laugh, knowing Sylvanas was venting our her anger and fears by speaking empty threats that she wouldn't follow up on. "I'll help you with all of that, just concentrate more on climbing and less on threatening Elaria."

"Don't tell me what to do." Sylvanas snapped at him, not that she was angry but because she was scared. "I'm going to kill all of them and if you try to stop me, I will kill you too. I don't care if you're my husband."

This time Athrodar did laugh, glancing over to Sylvanas who was focusing on climbing now. "I love you."

"Fuck you." She said, looking over to Athrodar who continued to smile and laugh. "I love you too, just.. Let me be angry and vent whilst we climb this."

"Okay. So long as it doesn't involve killing me, I'll let you vent." Every time Sylvanas climbed a little higher, Athrodar done so too, staying one crossbow bolt behind her to make sure he was nearby in case she fell.

Sylvanas pulled herself up to the next bolt. "Then I will take that Draenei of hers and keep her locked up somewhere so I can toy with her. When I get bored, I'll find the biggest, toughest guy out there and let him take over. I will break everything she holds dear because she made me do this."

By the time they reached their final checkpoint, one floor below the top of the spire, Athrodar stood in front of Sylvanas to stop her from acting on any of her threats, cupping her face in his hands and making her focus on only him. "I'll tell you what, when we make it through this, how about I help you with your plan. Hmm?"

Sylvanas looked him in the eyes, narrowing her own. "Fine. But I swear to whatever Gods are listening, I will throw you in my prison with Luna if you get in my way."

"Hold on a minute." Elaria said, overhearing their conversation. "What are you doing to Luna?"

Sylvanas glared at the Night Elf. "I'll show you what I'm going to to do Luna. Though you won't be around to -"

"Okay." Athrodar interrupted, placing his hands on both of Sylvanas' shoulders and walking her over to the opposite side of the floor they were on, stepping over the demons Elaria and her chief scout had slain. "Look, I get that you don't like heights and blame Elaria for making you climb this high, but can we pull it back just a bit."

Sylvanas glared at her husband, but her face quickly softened and she sighed when she saw the love and hints of fear in his eyes. "I'm sorry, my love." She whispered, hugging him tightly. "I hate heights and it brings out the worst in me."

"I know." Athrodar whispered, looking over to the window and watching two more scouts climb through. "We have to get all eight scouts up here too as well as Luna, Thalina and Tanadia." His gaze returned to Sylvanas who kept her head buried in his chest. "Tell you what, if you still feel like punishing Elaria for making you climb the side of the spire, we can both punish her. For both making you climb the side of the spire and for hurting me by leaving me without my friend."

Sylvanas looked up at Athrodar and saw him smile. "Deal." She said softly, placing her hand on his cheek and slowly pulling him down to her lips, giving him a long kiss. "I love you, so much."

"I love you too." Athrodar told her, moving his hands to her waist. "I love how protective you are of our children." He whispered, continuing his train of thought. "I love that you always try to seduce me, despite knowing that you have already won my heart years ago. I love when you gaze into my eyes and we both get lost in each other's eyes that sometimes, if we're so consumed by each other, we forget to do anything else but breathe."

Sylvanas closed her eyes and smiled, letting a couple of tears roll down her cheeks as she had one real weakness and it was Athrodar complimenting her and pouring his heart out to her, something she had never imagined herself having the day she died, but now was living her fantasy. "Damn you..." She muttered, pressing her ear to his chest. "Stop making me feel like this. I used to be the Banshee Queen."

"I will never stop making you feel like this." Athrodar whispered in her ear. "Saying those things remind you that we are living, together and have a family." He brushed a hand through her hair. "I have seen you when you're alone on the balcony, you get lost in your own thoughts and sometimes you talk to yourself."

Sylvanas widened her eyes and looked up at him. "Y-you saw that?"

"I did." Athrodar said, kissing her on the forehead. "I heard you say that you don't deserve this life. It's something we have discussed several times in the passed and I tell you the same thing over and over again. You deserve all the love you get, and I will always tell you this."

"Maybe I just like having you tell me over and over again..." Sylvanas muttered.

Athrodar chuckled, hugging his wife again and feeling her grip onto the back of his tunic tightly. "We have to leave in a few minutes, the last scouts have climbed up. Luna, Thalina and Tanadia are next." He told her, looking out the window for a second and suddenly getting a memory flash of his dream he had before the siege began.

Sylvanas cupped his face in her hands, noticing his focus had changed as well as his facial expressions. "Hey, what's on your mind?"

Athrodar looked down at Sylvanas who frowned at him. "I had a dream, a couple of nights ago and it's been bugging me. I have tried to ignore it, but I got a feeling it's important."

"What was it?" Sylvanas now asked, knowing the last time he had a concern about a dream, it came true. "Was it bad?"

"I don't know." Athrodar told her honestly, taking hold of her hands. "I saw my great grandfather, but I don't remember him. He was the one who told me who he was, it wasn't something I knew straight away."

Sylvanas tilted her head at her husband. "Dael'Thaelas?"

"That was who he told me he was." Athrodar said. "He had several rangers around him and we were in the middle of a forest. It looked like Eversong Woods, but he assured me it wasn't real."

Tapping her chin with her finger, Sylvanas looked away for a second when something crossed her mind. "Did you see a mage that wasn't meant to be in our camp?"

Athrodar shook his head. "No. The only mage I saw was Thal. Why?"

"Because your family endorsed powerful mages back when the family name was to be both feared and loved." Sylvanas saw him look away as if deep in thought again. "They gathered powerful mages to sway rival families into positions of allies, but not without taking something from them first." She shrugged her shoulders. "If it was him and it turns out he wasn't killed back when you all cleared out the demons and those traitors from the Quel'Danas, then he is coming for you. I don't know what for, but if I know Dael'Thaelas, he will do whatever he can to sink his claws into you."

"He did say to come look for him, that I would know where to look." Athrodar looked back to Sylvanas who had sighed and shook her head. "You know where to look, don't you?"

"I do and if you are going to look for him, I am coming with you." Sylvanas placed her hand over his mouth when he opened it. "Don't argue with me. I don't trust your family, your parents not included, so I am coming with you."

When her hand was removed from his mouth Athrodar began to talk again. "I wasn't going to argue with you, I was going to invite you to join me anyway. I think he wants to give me whatever army still remains in my family name, to fight the Legion."

"Don't accept it." Sylvanas told him immediately. "You do that and he will control you forever."

Athrodar shook his head, noticing Luna and Thalina had climbed through and they were pulling Tanadia up. "I wasn't going to accept it. Not until I spoke to you about it and knowing your reaction, I will stick to my initial thought."

"Good." Sylvanas kissed him on the cheek and turned around to face everyone shortly after Tanadia climbed into the room through the window. "So what's the plan now?" She asked out loud.

Elaria looked towards the door to the flight of stairs that would take them to the top of the spire. "There's not really a plan. We just have to prepare for a fight the moment we get up there."

Sylvanas shrugged her shoulders. "Let's go then."

* * *

The fight at the top of the spire had been going on for almost half an hour, Gul'dan was the Orc they were facing, the big leader of the demons on Azeroth and the one person none of them had expected. To them, he was dead. He had died in the Tomb of Sargeras years ago so to see him here was a shock. The start of their battle was just between them and him, but when the fight started to turn against him, he retreated into a spinning sphere in the middle of the platform they all stood on and began summoning demons to fight them instead.

The demons were dispatched quickly, but they were being replaced just as fast. "We need to get to Gul'dan." Elaria told Sylvanas, fighting beside her whilst Athrodar was with his daughter opposite them. "Distract them for me, I'll make sure to not miss him."

Sylvanas nodded, firing arrows into four of the nearest demons to get their attention whilst Elaria slipped between them. She quickly made her way to Thalina who saw what Sylvanas was doing and froze the demons in place. "Help me keep them off Elaria." Sylvanas told the Magister. "She is going after Gul'dan to stop him summoning these demons."

Thalina nodded, moving her hand in a sweeping motion and freezing many demons in place, conjuring a wall of fire in front of her which used up much of her mana and pushing her hands out in front of her to launch the wall of fire into the demons, incinerating them but also making her collapse down onto one knee. "Don't worry about me." She told Sylvanas, trying to catch her breath. "Just make sure they don't get to Elaria."

Sylvanas nodded, watching the Night Elf make her way to Gul'dan and the sphere he was in, tapping her dagger against it to try and figure out a weak point.

"Looking for something?" Gul'dan asked Elaria, laughing at her. "You won't break this barrier."

"No?" Elaria said, raising an eyebrow at him and trying to not draw attention to Tanadia and Athrodar who had managed to sneak by the demons protecting Gul'dan as well due to Luna creating a shield of holy light over her and several of Elaria's scouts, incinerating any demon that got close to them. "Maybe she will."

Gul'dan looked over to Tanadia who placed her hands on the sphere, engulfing his own hands in fel fire. "No!"

Just at the touch of her holy engulfed hands, Tanadia manged to break down the sphere that must have been powered by fel as it had an instant weakness to the spell. "Now!" Athrodar yelled, watching Elaria plunge her dagger into Gul'dan's back, making his hands no longer have the fel magic dancing over them. The Orc Warlock looked back to Elaria and gripped her throat in his hand, lifting her up from the ground.

"You'll regret that." Gul'dan said through gritted teeth, squeezing her throat and making it difficult for her to breathe. "I'll squeeze the life from your -"

His sentence was cut off when a searing pain burst through him, looking over his shoulder and looking at Tanadia who's eyes were glowing a bright gold and full of anger. Her hands were on the Orc's back and burning his demonic flesh with her hands engulfed in holy magic. "Let her go..." Tanadia said with a slight venom in her voice. "Let her go!" She yelled, letting out a pulse of holy magic into the Warlock and burning him from the inside, forcing a scream of agony out of the Orc and making him explode in a ball of fel fire, sending everyone back several feet.

Pulling himself up onto his feet, looking around the platform to make sure everyone was okay and noticing a certain someone was missing. "Thal?" He asked out loud, coughing as he had inhaled some of the fel smoke that was hanging around in the air surrounding the spire. "Thal!?" He yelled this time, stumbling around and trying to find the Magister.

"Help!" Thalina cried, hanging on to the side of the platform, a couple of feet away from the top of the spire.

Athrodar ran to the side of the spire, stretching out his arm towards Thalina and being just mere inches from taking hold of her hand. "Come on, Thal. Stretch just a little further."

Thalina tried to stretch the final inches to take hold of Athrodar's hand with her left hand, only to have her right hand slip from what she was holding onto and falling a couple more feet before holding on to some hanging vines. "I... I can't."

Athrodar shook his head at her. "Don't let go, Thal." He told her, looking around for something to anchor himself to as he aimed to lower himself down. "I'm going to get you, Thal."

Thalina began to have tears roll down her cheeks, looking up at Athrodar who looked the most helpless she had seen him. "I don't want to die. Please don't let me die."

"I won't, Thal." Athrodar said, looking up at Elaria who stood beside him and taking hold of her arm. "Lower me down, I'm going to get her."

Elaria nodded and held onto Athrodar's arm, watching him lower himself down towards Thalina who was now four feet below them, hanging onto several vines hanging over the side of the spire. "We've got you, Thal. Don't worry."

When Athrodar was just beside her, he extended out a hand towards Thal and smiled when she took hold of his hand, gripping onto her tightly and watching as she launched herself at him, but at the last second slipped and began to dangle over the side with just Athrodar holding onto her. "Pull us up, Elaria! Do it now!"

"I'm... Trying!" She strained, having a couple of her scouts rush over to her and try to help pull them both up.

Thalina looked Athrodar in the eyes, both of them terrified of what was happening and swallowing hard as she knew they were all struggling to pull them back up. "I love you, Athrodar." She said, looking deeply into his eyes. "I love our daughter."

"No, don't do this." Athrodar said, knowing she was giving up. "Don't you dare let go of me!"

"Take care of her. She will need you now more than ever." Thalina told him, letting go of his arm and only dangling there due to Athrodar not letting go of her, though his grip was slipping away quickly.

"Don't... Thal, don't!" Athrodar held onto her arm as tightly as he could, but she quickly slipped out of his grasp and he looked on in horror as she closed her eyes and fell several floors to the ground. "No!"

Elaria's heart sank as she pulled Athrodar up to the platform, looking over the side and not finding Thalina anywhere. "Why did you let go!?" She yelled, looking back at Athrodar.

"I didn't... I couldn't hold on... She let go." Athrodar let out a roar of anguish and punched the floor several times, making his hand go all bruised and bloody and possibly breaking a few fingers at the same time. "Where is he?" He now asked, his voice full of anger. "Where is this fucking ally we were here to get?"

Sylvanas slowly made her way over to Athrodar who was in such a broken state, she didn't know if he was safe to be near, let alone what he was truly feeling at this moment. To her, it was a mix of horror, anger, fury, sadness and confusion. "Athrodar..." She muttered, stepping a little closer to him.

A green crystal was lying in the middle of the platform, containing their so called ally and Athrodar reached for his sword, smashing the crystal with the hilt and watched as Illidan's body was laying before him. "Wake up." He said, nudging the Demon Hunter with his boot. "Wake the fuck up, now. You are going to answer some questions."

When Athrodar pushed him again with his boot, Illidan's eyes opened and began to glow a fell green through the blindfold he had over them, quickly covering himself in a purple shadow and knocked Athrodar back a few feet. "You _dare_ wake me!" He roared, stretching out his wings and hovering above everyone there.

Tanadia, being the closest to the explosion, had only just woken up when Illidan began to hover above them all, looking around for her mother and not finding her anywhere. "Mama?" She asked, her voice groggy as she was still dazed by the explosion.

Sylvanas ran to the priestess and held her close as she stumbled forward trying to stand up. "Hey, easy. Gather your strength before you try to stand."

"Where's my mom?" She asked, coughing as she too had inhaled some of the fel smoke in the air. "I can't see her."

Sylvanas looked over to Athrodar, Elaria, Luna and the many scouts still with them as they now faced off against Illidan who was attacking them. "There's something I have to tell you."

The fight with Illidan didn't last too long, with the news of her mother, something had awoken inside the young priestess who had one last burst of energy and sent out a wave of holy light, burning away the demonic presence at the top of the spire as well as forcing Illidan out of his demonic form, making him collapse down onto his hands and knees and have the fel rage that had built up inside him dissipate entirely. "The anger... It has gone." The Demon Hunter said, looking up at Elaria and Athrodar who stood over him. "Gul'dan had been channeling demonic energies into my body and trying to force out the inner demon inside of me to use as a weapon."

Athrodar placed the tip of his blade under the chin of the Demon Hunter. "Are you now a friend or foe? Answer quick because my patience has grown thin."

Illidan chuckled and looked up at Athrodar. "You sound just like your Great Grandfather. I saw how close he was to your Prince when they visited me in Outland." He stood up and towered over them both. "You killed Gul'dan, so I would say we are allies." He walked over to where Gul'dan had exploded in a fel storm, picking up his skull that had remained and turning it into dust. "Tell me, where is the rest of your people?"

"They are fighting in the siege below." Elaria said, looking over to the fiery boulders flying through the air and hitting several buildings. "We used it as a distraction to come here and free you. My scouts have told me you were here after getting word from several of your Demon Hunters."

Illidan looked over to Elaria. "You have my Demon Hunters?" He asked her.

"Did have. They left to fight some demons in Azsuna, trying to reclaim the Warden's base of operations." Elaria looked over to Tanadia who was crying into Sylvanas' shoulder. "Excuse me."

Athrodar was grabbed by Elaria who dragged him to his daughter and placed him down on his knees in front of her. In an instant, Tanadia threw herself at her father who hugged her tightly, letting her cry into his shoulder this time and breaking down himself as she began to cry into her shoulder in return. "So where are we?" Sylvanas asked, wiping her eyes and trying to remain the strong one this time instead of Athrodar whenever she felt sad. "Is he with us."

Elaria nodded and looked back to Illidan who was looking down at Suramar below. "I believe so."


End file.
